Kamativi Mining Company (KMC) is targeting September 2026 to commission a 36MW solar power plant at its lithium mining operation in Hwange, as the company moves to strengthen its energy security and reduce reliance on the national grid, Mining Zimbabwe can report.
By Rudairo Mapuranga
KMC Chief Operating Officer Turkey Liang told Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Mines and Mining Development during its fact-finding visit to the operation that the solar project is already being developed, with the solar infrastructure being put in place while the battery energy storage component is still to be installed.
The project represents an investment of about US$25 million and is designed to provide KMC with additional electricity for its growing mining and processing operations. KMC management has previously said the plant is expected to be completed by the end of September.
A key feature of the project is the planned integration of a 48MWh battery energy storage system (BESS).
Liang told the committee that the battery component would make the Kamativi project different from conventional mining solar installations, referring to Zimplats’ solar project as an example during his presentation.
The battery has not yet been installed, with the storage system forming part of the remaining work before the project is fully commissioned.
The Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) has already approved a 25-year electricity generation licence for New Dawn Solar Private Limited to construct, own, operate and maintain the 36MW photovoltaic plant integrated with the 48MWh battery system at Kamativi.
The inclusion of storage is significant because solar generation is dependent on sunlight. A battery system allows electricity generated during periods of strong solar output to be stored and subsequently supplied when solar generation falls.
For a mining operation that requires power continuously, the storage component can therefore help improve the usefulness and reliability of solar generation.
The solar project is being developed within the Kamativi mining operation as KMC expands lithium production and processing.
The company has previously said the project is intended to lower electricity costs and reduce carbon emissions while responding to the Government’s push for mining companies to develop their own energy solutions.
The 36MW plant is expected to supply green energy to the mining operation, reducing the amount of electricity KMC needs to draw from the national grid.
Liang’s presentation to Parliament placed particular emphasis on the battery component, which is intended to address the intermittent nature of solar generation.
KMC is now working towards commissioning the project in September.
General Manager Jack Ye previously said the company had already started work on the solar project and that materials were on site, with the target of completing the plant by the end of September.
The project therefore enters its final development phase, with the solar infrastructure progressing and the battery component still to be installed.
If KMC meets its September target, the project will add 36MW of solar generation capacity to the mine’s energy mix, alongside the planned 48MWh of storage.
The Kamativi project comes as Zimbabwe’s mining sector faces persistent electricity supply challenges and the Government encourages large mining operations to develop their own generation capacity.
For KMC, the objective goes beyond simply adding solar panels. The combination of photovoltaic generation and battery storage is intended to create a more dependable renewable-energy system capable of supporting an energy-intensive mining and processing operation.
The project also reflects the growing link between Zimbabwe’s lithium industry and the technologies underpinning the global energy transition: KMC is mining a mineral critical to battery supply chains while simultaneously investing in renewable power and battery storage to support its own operations.
With the solar infrastructure already being put in place and the battery system still outstanding, September will be the key test of whether KMC can bring the full 36MW solar-and-storage project into operation as planned.
