Solar energy to boost Zambia’s rural industrialisation
By PETER KAYULA
THE prospects of mass industralisation and value addition programmes have been a source of hope for better life for thousands of people in the remotest parts of the world.
Electricity, however, still remains one of the serious challenges facing many countries in Africa, in particular, and the majority in the world in general, with no hope of the national electricity grid reaching in the far flung rural areas in the next 20 years.
Despite this, some countries are generally moving in the right direction in terms of effecting and applying some other forms of renewable energy to improve the lives of thousands of people.
The history of renewable solar and wind energy has determined the course of industrial development in countries such as Brazil and Indonesia and are becoming a high foreign exchange earner and an employer of more than a million people, either directly or indirectly.
In Brazil, renewable energy pushed forest plantation industries now account for well over 70 per cent of the south American country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).
In Indonesia, renewable energy has promoted mass remote industralisation and value addition programmers in terms of food processing and preservation, creating employment and reducing poverty, especially in some parts of Jakarta.
In Zambia, while appreciating the efforts the Government is making intinitiating rural electrification and supporting solar and wind energy programmes, the slow rate at which these initiatives are moving is a source of concern.
The current massive household electrification programme will first deliver to urban communities and will require decades to reach the majority of families in the countryside. In the meantime, forests are diminishing every year at an alarming rate.
Trees and tree products of the woodlands and forests play an important and often under-estimated role for rural communities and are central to their lives.
Rural people use natural forests, especially woodlands for many purposes. These include: firewood – the major source of energy for cooking, lighting and heating. Timber – for construction materials and wood carvings. Fruit – an important dietary supplement and sap for brewing of beer and wine.
Others are medicinal products such as bark, leaves and roots, honey products, harvesting of insects, mushrooms and other edible plants and grass – for thatching and for grazing for cattle.
The economic value of forests, especially woodlands to communities often equate to a significant proportion of the income of rural households.
Rural people constitute 40 per cent of the total population of Zambia and are predominantly women and children. Average income earned by rural households is much less than that earned by urban households with unemployment reaching 56.3 percent.
They have no running water in or near their homes and lack of electricity affects 92.9 per cent. Women are particularly important with ages between 16 and 65 numbering men of 40 per cent. Women are often the effective heads of households in the countryside and bear the major burden of maintaining the well-being of households.
Therefore, the setting up of a solar and wind energy company in Zambia by a top South African solar energy expert and chief executive officer of Olivia Energy Solutions (PTY) Limited of South Africa, brightens Zambia’s general prospects of rural industralisation and value addition.
The realisation of his vision to form a Zambian company with a majority shareholding by three Zambians is enough commitment to stimulate Zambian Government support, encouragement and policy engagement aimed at sustaining the industry, civil society and the farming community to recognise Olivier’s presence in Zambia reflecting a wide range of solar geysers, solar electric systems( both small and commercial applications), solar borehole pumps and wind turbines, pacific solar and victron energy applications, cheap solar products and experience.
In a press statement recently, executive director of the Zambia National Forest Conservation Organisation , Green Siame congratulated the South African investor for his vision to form a Zambian company as a determined start to a participative process of rural industrialisation and value addition programmes.
Mr Siame says: “As Zambia National Forest Conservation Organisation grappling with the challenges of building capacities of rural communities to understand the relevance of reducing over dependence on forest resources, rural industralisation and value addition programmes, in terms of food processing and preservation, will arguably help in poverty reduction and employment creation.
Poverty remains the most immediate factor that undermines household capacity to effectively contribute to sustainable environmental management.”
Mr Siame urged the Zambian Government to support solar and wind energy industry which will play a vital role in the economy and enhance the quality of life in rural areas.
He stressed that Zambia has already made head way in the process of rural industrialisation and value addition with the solar energy policy and strategy options outlined in the first part of Zambia’s rural industralisation and value addition conference.
“We now need to look forward. It is the solar energy options and the issues they address which must be the subject of comment and debate. There has never been an overview of this kind in Zambia for many years. We have learnt much and now we have a task of putting together the designs of policies needed to sustain companies of this kind in Zambia.”
Opening a renewable energy conference in South America last year, former renewable energy projects profiler, now professor of renewable energy, Reid Van Bismarck, said: “The realignment of priorities concerning the use of renewable energy will be a subject of protracted debate in the coming years.”
Phillip Olivier visited Zambia from 10th June to 13th 2013 during which time he held a series of discussions with directors at the Ministry of Commerce and Industry on the technical, policy aspects and prospects of investing in solar and wind energy in Zambia.
Thereafter, he further held meetings with Africare , a leading non-governmental Organisation committed to addressing African development and policy issues by working in partnership with African people to build sustainable, healthy and productive communities.
Since 1970, Africare has provided well over $1 billion of assistance and support through more than 2,500 projects in agriculture and food security, water, sanitation and hygiene that have impacted millions of beneficiaries in 36 countries of Africa
Phillip concluded his visit to Zambia with a fruitful meeting with the Zambia National Farmers Union representing local farmers who are basically countryside-based and have an aptitude for solar energy applications use.
After establishing his company in Zambia, which will utilise high efficient technical back up services from South Africa for all solar products sold by the Zambia company and will display solar products at this year’s Zambia Agriculture and Commercial Show in Lusaka, the solar energy expert returned to South Africa with remarks that, “I have a personal interest in the uplifting of rural communities using solar energy. We have been involved in similar projects in South Africa and will work with Zambian Government solar programmes and help the country to achieve its Millennium Development Goals.”
charcoal.org12@yahoo.com,/admin@oliviaenergy.co.za
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