China's AVIC Science and Technology undertakes Zimbabwe's largest mining microgrid, now operational

en.Wedoany.com Reported - Recently, the Reid Mining Solar-Storage-Diesel Microgrid Project in Zimbabwe, undertaken by AVIC Science and Technology, was successfully completed and officially put into operation. The project features a photovoltaic installed peak capacity of 11 megawatts, supported by a 30 megawatt-hour energy storage system and a 4 megawatt diesel generator backup power supply. It is currently the largest mining solar-storage-diesel microgrid project in Zimbabwe and a benchmark off-grid microgrid project implemented by Chinese enterprises in the African mining sector.

It is reported that the project achieves direct power supply at 11 kilovolts, with solar-storage power accounting for over 85% of the supply. It is Zimbabwe's first microgrid project to connect directly to a mining power distribution system at the 11 kV voltage level, meeting the extremely high demands of mining operations for power continuity—24-hour uninterrupted supply, over 330 days of annual power availability, and fully off-grid independent operation—effectively resolving the long-standing challenges of difficult, costly, and unstable power generation in the mining area.

Located on the African plateau, Zimbabwe has an arid climate, and the project faced multiple challenges including difficult material transportation, lengthy customs clearance cycles for equipment, and a short rainy-season construction window. Despite these adverse factors, the project team from AVIC Science and Technology organized scientifically, reversed the construction schedule, coordinated dispatch, and worked around the clock, completing all construction tasks in just 50 days, demonstrating "China Speed" and accelerating overseas new energy infrastructure development.

In terms of construction organization, the project team precisely managed the design, procurement, and construction phases to achieve efficient workflow integration. In terms of technical integration, AVIC Science and Technology, in collaboration with Jichu Energy, jointly developed the NOVAGREEN grid-forming energy storage system, which effectively suppresses surge currents caused by the start-stop of mining equipment, keeping voltage deviation within ±2% and frequency stable at 50 Hz ±0.1 Hz, ensuring the continuous and stable operation of the system and equipment under harsh conditions.

Using the NOVAGREEN system as a platform, the project organically combines clean energy production with efficient storage and consumption through "solar-storage synergy." According to estimates, after commissioning, it can reduce diesel consumption and carbon emissions by over 90% annually, saving fuel costs of 50 to 60 million RMB. Compared with traditional diesel power generation, its electricity cost can be reduced by approximately 50%, helping Zimbabwe build a "green mine" and achieve a win-win outcome in both commercial value and environmental benefits.

Africa has low power grid coverage, and numerous remote mines have long relied on diesel power generation, resulting in persistently high electricity costs that have become a core factor constraining profit growth. This project is not only a vivid practice of China's full-chain capabilities in products, technology, and engineering going global, but also provides a replicable model for China-Africa green energy cooperation.