The Infrastructure Development Bank of Zimbabwe (IDBZ) has started accepting bids for a Turnkey Engineering, Purchasing, Construction, Financing and Operations and Maintenance (EPC+F+OM) contractor for a 5 MW solar project.
Idbz, the Zimbabwe development bench, cooperates with the Gutu Rural District Council (GRDC) to select a Turnkey EPC+F+to select to help develop a 5 MW solar project in the province of Masvingo.
The relocation follows an announcement in March by the IDBZ for a tender for solar energy that an EPC contractor searches to develop, finance and exploit the 5 MW solar project in Gutu District, with expressions of interests on April 14, 2025.
Chatsworth Energy (PVT) Ltd., a vehicle with a special goal (SPV) founded by the IDBZ and the GRDC, leads the development of the PV project. It is being built near the city of Gutu-Mupandawana and will be 15 hectares over Berry Springs and Wheatlands farms, according to the tender documents.
The facility will be connected to the 33/11 KV Gutu Understation, which is 1 km from the site. It is said that a schedule effect assessment has established that the project will have a positive influence on the stability of the grid.
The project has already completed the necessary legal approvals and feasibility and environmental and social impact assessments (ESIA) have been completed. The approval of the board for the project was granted on August 23, 2024, and the next step is the request for bids for the EPC+F+OM -Contractor, according to the tender documents.
The successful contractor will be charged with the implementation of full cycle, including design, purchasing, financing (full or partial), installation, commissioning, operation and maintenance of the PV system. The most important responsibilities also include the construction of a 1.1 km, 33 kV line to the Gutu substation, the installation of a 5/7 MVA Step-Up Transformer, offering security systems and the recording of monitoring systems for solar performance.
The project must meet both Zimbabwean regulations and the international standards for solar industry. The completion deadline is set for 12 months after the contracting of the contract. Contractors are required to demonstrate experience in similar projects, whereby the evaluation process has been weighted between technical and financial proposals. The successful contractor must also submit proof of support for financing support and detailed personnel information, including important team members with relevant qualifications.
Eligible contractors must meet various criteria, including experience with PV projects with grid-bound PV (at least 5 MW), registration at the Regulatory Authority of Zimbabwe (PRAZ) and financial documentation. A minimum bidding validity of 90 days is required.
The project is intended to support the objectives for renewable energy consumption of Zimbabwe, to contribute to the stability of the grid and to set up a reliable solar infrastructure with high operational efficiency. Contractors must submit their proposals on April 28, 2025, with the full reference conditions available on the IDBZ website.
According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (Irena), the cumulative installed PV capacity of Zimbabwe stood by the end of 2023 towards the end of 2023 towards the end of 2023.
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