Hit by drought and power cuts, Zim steps up battery storage

Cattle stand over cracked earth as water levels drop in a dam near Mount Darwin, Zimbabwe.BULAWAYO - As a worsening drought slashes the country’s hydropower production, creating lengthy power cuts, Zimbabwe’s industries are beginning to turn to solar panels and battery storage systems to keep business humming.

The systems are drawing growing interest from businesses and industry in other sub-Saharan countries as well, from South Africa to Kenya, he said. Both South Africa and Zimbabwe have seen a growing rate of battery theft, said Kezito Makuni, Econet’s chief operating officer. “Lithium-ion batteries can alleviate power shortages even at individual level, but the cost might be high,” he said. But commercial power providers also can use the systems to feed backup power into the main grid to serve homes, he said.To help companies afford the batteries, Mahajan’s company offers leasing options as well as selling the equipment, he said.

Chawira said companies without backup power have been forced to scale down operations or close shop, leading to job losses.

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