Clamore Solar – Gokwe Maternity Clinics (Zimbabwe)
Who, What & Where
- Clamore Solar
- Gokwe Maternity Clinics
- Midlands Province, Zimbabwe
The Company
On the strength of our experience and professional think tank, comprising experts in engineering, marketing and energy, we provide professional custom solutions to the most challenging projects, bringing energy relief to all sectors of modern living.
The Challenge
In Gokwe, local healthcare facilities used to operate with limited power and constant power cuts, in turn affecting the delivery of care services and making the storage of vaccines an issue.
During the implementation, the project team engaged local young people as part-time contract workers for the trenching, loading and offloading of equipment from trucks.
As a result, both the power systems and delivery of services in the healthcare facilities significantly improved, and there was a notable increase in the number of people who received vaccines, improved maternal health, and decreased child mortality.
Renewable Solution
The DRE solution was chosen as a sustainable solution to the problem, and it also gave the centres a comparative advantage by allowing them to monitor and control their power usage.
The solutions include a solar borehole that enables patients to access clean and safe water. The maternal ward and the health care facilities as well as staff quarters are fully operating on the solar station that was installed.
A total of six healthcare facilities had solar systems installed and each system comprised of:
- 4 x Axitec Axistorage lI 10S (40kWh);
- 2 x Victron SmartSolar MPPT 250/100 VE;
- 1 x 5 kVa Victron Quattro 48/5000/70-100;
- 22 x 375-W (8kWp) Solar array on a ground mount carport structure.
Project Financing and Costs
EUR 318,129
- Clamore Solar (system installation)
- UNICEF (project financing)
- EnviroEarth (lead EPC)
Project Outcome
- One cold storage of COVID-19 vaccines with a reliable source of power.
- Borehole, solar geyser, solar lights and household use for each health care facility and 2-3 staff houses per health care facility.
- Some of the material used was purchased from local businesses. The project team comprised of eight people. During installations, the team also employed 20 youths within the community.
- Improved access to clean and safe water through the solar-powered borehole. Enhanced maternal health services by providing sustainable power to the maternal ward.
- The betterment of the plight of women by reducing childbirth complications. The financially disadvantaged can now access health services from their local health care facilities.
Key Recommendations for International Funding Partners & Regulators
- Funding partners and service providers should conduct a detailed site assessment to estimate project costs, to avoid under- or over-quoting.
- Funding partners are encouraged to develop a quality and standard document that will guide the implementing partners on the funder’s expectations.
- There should be a clear indication of the nature of infrastructure and roads by the implementing partners that the service providers will be using during the project.