Zimbabwe’s largest platinum group metals producer, Zimplats, is set to commission its 35MW solar power plant in the first quarter of its 2025 financial year, marking a significant step in the company’s sustainable energy initiative.
The solar plant, which represents the first phase of a broader plan to develop 185MW of solar capacity, has already seen an investment of US$36 million, just under the US$37 million budgeted for the project. The 35MW facility is 86% complete, according to Zimplats’ FY2024 fourth-quarter financial report.
This project comes at a critical time as Zimbabwe’s mining sector faces an electricity demand of 2,600MW, far exceeding the national grid’s 1,200MW output. Ongoing issues with the Hwange Units 7 and 8 have worsened the energy crisis, prompting companies like Zimplats to seek self-sufficient power solutions.
In addition to its solar efforts, Zimplats has adjusted its water use practices due to drought conditions, increasing water abstraction by 15% while reducing recycled water use from 44% to 39%. The company has also continued its land rehabilitation efforts, restoring 9.1 hectares of open-pit areas and re-vegetating 1.2 hectares of tailings storage facilities.
