By: OrePulse

Zambia has surpassed its 2026 target for installed solar power capacity, pushing total installed electricity generation capacity to 4,722 megawatts, according to government remarks delivered at the 2026 Energy Forum.

Installed solar capacity reached 1,027 megawatts, up from 178 megawatts, exceeding the government's target of 1,000 megawatts of solar capacity set for this year, the government said. That marks an increase of close to six times the previous solar total.

Total installed generation capacity across all sources rose to 4,722 megawatts from 3,777 megawatts in 2024, an increase of roughly a quarter, according to the figures presented at the forum.

The figures were announced in a speech delivered on behalf of President Hakainde Hichilema, who was represented at the forum by Vice President Mutale Nalumango. The event was held under the theme "Driving a Borderless Energy Future for Africa."

In the speech, Hichilema said the expansion of solar power is helping Zambia diversify a generation mix that has long been dominated by hydropower, which he said is vulnerable to the effects of climate change. He linked the diversification drive to the government's broader Grow Zambia Agenda.

Zambia has set a target of 10,000 megawatts of installed generation capacity by 2031. Hichilema said investment in transmission and distribution infrastructure needs to keep pace with the addition of new generation capacity in order to meet that target, adding that new power supply would have limited value without the grid infrastructure to carry it to consumers.

Acting Energy Minister Situmbeko Musokotwane, also speaking at the forum, said a number of power generation projects are currently at different stages of development. He urged investors holding signed power purchase agreements with the government to proceed with their projects without delay, and said Zambia is positioning itself to become a regional electricity hub. Arnold Simwaba, the permanent secretary responsible for electricity, also attended the forum.

Zimbabwe's Energy Minister July Moyo, addressing the same forum, called for closer integration of energy systems across Southern Africa. According to Moyo, the two neighboring countries are currently developing a cross-border electricity interconnector, a project he described as a way to bolster the security of regional power supply. His comments reflected the forum's broader focus on cross-border coordination among Southern African countries.

The 2026 Energy Forum brought together government officials and energy-sector stakeholders from Zambia and the wider region to discuss generation capacity, transmission investment and cross-border power cooperation. Officials from both countries framed the solar milestone and the proposed interconnector as steps toward closer regional integration on energy supply.

Between 2024 and the present figures cited at the forum, Zambia's installed generation capacity grew by about 945 megawatts overall, with solar accounting for the large majority of that addition, according to the numbers presented by the government.