Zambia’s first solar-hydro hybrid power plant has been officially commissioned, combining a 27MWp solar PV facility with existing hydropower generation operated by Lunsemfwa Hydro Power Company (LHPC).
The project, in Zambia’s Central Province, is designed to use solar generation alongside LHPC’s existing hydro capacity, diversifying generation while making use of the operational flexibility provided by hydropower.
Globeleq, which owns a 51% stake in LHPC, said the project demonstrates how complementary renewable technologies can be integrated to improve electricity reliability and make greater use of Zambia’s renewable energy resources.
Construction of the 27MWp solar plant began in September 2025. The project was developed to operate alongside the existing Lunsemfwa hydropower station and supply electricity to the national grid.
The solar development was originally scheduled for completion during the first half of 2026. At the project’s groundbreaking in September 2025, Zambia’s Minister of Energy Makozo Chikote said the hybrid development formed part of efforts to diversify the country’s electricity mix.
LHPC operates two hydropower plants with a combined installed capacity of 56MW. The company supplies electricity to national utility ZESCO under a long-term power purchase agreement and also serves private customers including Copperbelt Energy Corporation and Jubilee Metals. It holds a Southern African Power Pool trading licence, allowing it to participate in regional electricity trading.
The commissioning follows Globeleq’s acquisition of a 51% interest in LHPC from Norwegian development finance institution Norfund in March 2026. The remaining 49% is held by Zambia-based Wanda Gorge Investments.
The acquisition represented Globeleq’s entry into Zambia and its first hydropower investment in Africa. At the time, LHPC also had a development pipeline comprising around 200MWp of solar capacity and a number of potential hydropower expansions.
The hybrid project comes as Zambia seeks to diversify an electricity system that has historically depended heavily on hydropower and has faced generation constraints during periods of drought. The addition of solar capacity alongside existing hydro generation is intended to increase the range of renewable resources available to the system.
Globeleq is also developing other generation projects in Zambia, including the Kafue Solar project and the proposed Leopard’s Hill scheme, which is planned to combine a 150MWac solar PV plant with a 150MW/600MWh battery energy storage system.
