KABANDA CHULU, Lusaka
THE Rural Electrification Authority (REA) has discontinued pursuing wind projects in Lunga district due to the undesirable wind speed to generate power, says chief executive officer Linus Chanda. REA has been implementing rural electrification projects throughout the country since its inception in 2003.
Under its capital investments and implementation projects, REA has mainly focused on grid extensions, solar energy and mini-hydro projects that have been implemented successfully.
But more recently, REA partnered with the University of Zambia through its Technology Development and Advisory Unit (TDAU) to assess the viability of wind as an energy resource. The study, costing over K1 million, involved installation and commissioning of a 60-metre high meteorological mast for the wind resource energy assessment exercise.
In an interview, Mr Chanda said preliminary results indicated a high energy yield potential to generate electricity from wind in Lunga district in Luapula Province.
“Installations of wind turbines was our desire since we wanted it (wind energy) to work alongside solar, which we already have implemented in the area, but the project has been discontinued because the wind speed was not CLICK TO READ MORE