Zuva Petroleum, the leading energy company in Zimbabwe, has announced an ambitious multi-million-dollar solar project that will see the energy giant installing 180 solar plants across its service stations, Liquified Petroleum Gas (LPG) sites and Depots by the end of 2021. The announcement confirms Zuva Petroleum’s ambitions of leading the energy sector in promoting sustainable energy.  

Speaking in a recent interview, Mr Gumbo the CEO of Zuva Petroleum said, Our investment in solar is part of a long term strategy on renewable and sustainable energy aimed at reducing our carbon footprint through lowering carbon dioxide emissions and ensuring uninterrupted energy delivery at our service stations and LPG installations nationwide.  After project completion Zuva plans to channel 30% of the power generated from the solar plants to the national power grid through a net metering system to support the National Agenda in Sustainable Development.

Mr Gumbo went on to say that ‘Combating climate change, investing in lower-carbon technology and reducing energy poverty have become important subjects in our business, and our ambition to become a responsible energy Supplier’. Zuva Petroleum supports the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in which the world is determined to protect the planet from degradation, sustainably managing its natural resources and taking urgent action on climate change, so that it can support the needs of the present and future generations

In 2014 we set an ambitious target to Connect 1 million households with LPG by the end of 2023.  To-date we are proud of the fact that we have connected almost 500 000 homes to LPG. The drive was based on our objective to offer clean energy that is affordable, reliable, and convenient to the mass market, said Mr Gumbo CEO of Zuva Petroleum.  With a population of 16. million, only about 32% of the Zimbabwean population has access to electricity. The national electrification rate of 32% leaves out almost 68% without access to electricity. The low electrification rate has resulted in the bulk of the population using outdated energy sources that pollute the environment like firewood, paraffin and charcoal. 

Mr Gumbo went on to say that,

‘Having identified the energy poverty crisis in the nation, we launched our first Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) installations in 2015 starting with our Retail sites.  LPG is a clean-burning fuel because of its low emission profile of GHGs (Green House Gases), it emits virtually no black carbon and does not spill. Its use improves air quality and protects the environment, making it an extremely efficient energy source.  It, therefore, plays a leading role as a bridging fuel towards a truly sustainable global energy solution. Expanding household use of LPG plays a pivotal role in eradicating energy poverty and brings with it, huge health and environmental benefits. Since the initial launch in 2015, we have expanded the project to independent Reseller sites in high density and rural settlements as we seek to get closer to the market and address the energy crisis in the country. To date, we have more than 100 LPG installations with representation in all the provinces across Zimbabwe, and we are still growing. 

Zuva Petroleum shall continue investing more in cleaner and renewable energies expertise as it takes full ownership to contribute to a green future for future generations. ‘‘Energy Everyday” is our Zuva tagline and as a responsible corporate citizen we will continue to focus on this responsibility to eradicate energy poverty’

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