Launching the PyPSA-Zambia MVP! An open-source grid planning model deployed on a major African utility network and developed in collaboration with ZESCO Limited, Zambia’s national utility. MVP stands for minimum viable product.
Zambia’s grid is dominated by large hydropower reservoirs, which makes it highly sensitive to rainfall variability and multi-year drought cycles. PyPSA-Zambia is designed with this context in mind.
Built on PyPSA-Earth, this model is fully open, documented, and replicable, designed from the outset to extend beyond a single country. Development is ongoing, particularly to refine underlying data and assumptions, but the model is ready now for your training and research use.
Why is this important?
The PyPSA-Zambia MVP represents a significant step toward more transparent, cost-efficient, and evidence-based energy planning for African institutions, starting with Zambia, and built to scale across the continent.
What does the model do?
It evaluates optimal generation mix for a specific weather year. It conducts capacity expansion studies and investigates spatial structure of renewable potential. It serves as a replicable template for other African countries for a just energy transition.
Which features are implemented?
- Regional-specific line types for Zambia’s transmission grid
- Region-tailored spatial demand distribution
- Integrated cross-boundary power exchanges
- River inflow representation using state-of-the-art GloFAS dataset
- Zambia-specific biomass potentials
- Adjusted costs to reflect Zambian market realities
The model is fully validated and documented. It is a proof of concept for the continent
The PyPSA-Zambia MVP is openly available on GitHub: PyPSA Zambia MVP
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