Zimbabwean energy developer Tatanga Energy and Modaso Energy, part of Geneva-based MISA Group, are advancing plans to develop a 228-megawatt (MW) hybrid renewable energy plant in the adjacent districts of Guruve and Mazowe, in a major private-sector investment expected to strengthen electricity generation and improve power supply reliability.
The project will combine 128MW of wind power, 100MW of solar generation and a 100-megawatt-hour (MWh) battery storage system, with the capacity to generate an estimated 550 gigawatt-hours (GWh) annually.
The hybrid configuration is expected to deliver electricity for between 18 and 20 hours a day, providing a more stable and reliable supply to support domestic and industrial demand.
Modaso Energy Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Ramy Lotfy said the project was the most advanced development in the company’s portfolio and represented a significant milestone in renewable energy investment in the region.
“Our strategy is to partner with strong local developers such as Zimbabwe, bringing our hybrid design, commercial structuring experience, project finance, equity investment and credentials across the African continent in order to get projects built,” he said.
“The Guruve-Mazowe site in Zimbabwe is the most advanced project in our portfolio. We will be generating power from 128 megawatts of wind, 100 megawatts of solar and we will have a 100 megawatt-hour battery. That means that we will be delivering power for 18 to 20 hours a day, creating firm, stable and reliable power into the grid for domestic and industrial demand.”
Lotfy described the development as potentially the largest renewable energy project of its kind in the region and among the first utility-scale hybrid renewable energy developments in sub-Saharan Africa.
Tatanga Energy co-founder and Director, Memory Mashingaidze said the partnership with Modaso had significantly expanded the original wind-power proposal into a larger hybrid development incorporating solar generation and battery storage.
Tatanga Energy originated the project and has been leading land acquisition, community engagement and Government liaison since 2021, before Modaso came on board to advance its technical development, commercial structuring and financing.
“From a Tatanga point of view, we were the original developers of this project…But I think with Modaso coming in, we have now progressed from about 100 megawatts of wind to adding 100 megawatts of solar and a 100-megawatt-hour battery,” Mashingaidze said.
The financing process is progressing, with Standard Bank being appointed to arrange project debt and a term sheet already agreed.
ZESA is expected to be the principal purchaser of electricity generated by the plant, while Zim GreenCo has signed Heads of Terms for a long-term power off-take agreement.
Negotiations on the Power Purchase Agreement and Use of System Agreements are also progressing, with financial close targeted for mid-2027 and commercial operations expected to begin in 2029.
MISA Group CEO, Guy Hacking said the project demonstrated the importance of developing commercially viable renewable energy investments capable of translating Africa’s abundant natural resources into reliable electricity.
“There is no shortage of renewable resources in Africa; but there is a shortage of electrons at the right place and the right time, and of bankable, high-quality projects. At MISA Group through Modaso Energy, we’re changing that. The Guruve-Mazowe Hybrid Renewable Energy Project demonstrates this,” he said.
ZESA Group CEO, Engineer Cletus Nyachowe said the development would introduce new renewable energy technologies and expertise into Zimbabwe’s electricity sector.
“This will be Zimbabwe’s first utility-scale wind farm, and our country’s first project to combine wind, solar and battery storage. It means new clean power for Zimbabwe, and new skills for Zimbabweans. We are proud to help build it,” he said.
The project is expected to contribute to Zimbabwe’s efforts to diversify its energy mix, increase domestic generation capacity and attract private investment into the power sector. Its combination of wind, solar and battery storage will also help manage fluctuations in renewable energy generation, strengthening the reliability of electricity supplied to the national grid.
