Distributed Power Africa (DPA), an Econet Global group member, has started installing solar panels at Total service stations in Zimbabwe. DPA and Total Zimbabwe, a subsidiary of the French oil giant Total Energies, will collaborate to solarize 15 service stations.
Total Zimbabwe wishes to minimise its service stations’ reliance on the public energy grid. DPA has previously installed solar panels in the capital Harare’s Rusape, Avondale, Emerald Hill, Westgate, and Chisipite fuel stations. The firm led by Divyajeet Mahajan is still working on the Victoria Falls, Kwekwe, and Msasa fueling stations. DPA is still undertaking studies to assess the electrical requirements of the filling stations for the time being. The solar-powered facilities will be better prepared to handle load shedding. As a result of this scenario, Total Zimbabwe has resorted to generators, which are more expensive to maintain and run.
The company predicts that by using solar energy, its service stations will be able to cut their reliance on the national electrical grid and diesel generators by 30 per cent. It will also allow the gasoline distributor to save money on its electrical costs. The collaboration between DPA and Total Zimbabwe is part of the French oil company’s aim to solarize 50 per cent of its service stations in Zimbabwe. Total Energies will invest $4 million to do this. The oil firm presently operates 101 service stations in Zimbabwe using grid energy or diesel generators. This initiative is part of Total Energies’ broader global goal.
