NEED Team Members

Mr Kaoma Mwansa

Institution                         

University of Zambia (UNZA)

Policy Expert of Work Package 2 "Research Strategies"

About     

Mwansa Kaoma holds Bachelor and Master of Engineering Degrees in Agricultural Engineering which were obtained from the University of Zambia in 2009 and 2013 respectively. In 2013 he joined UNZA as a lecturer and researcher in the Department of Agricultural Engineering under the School of Engineering. He teaches undergraduate students in Renewable Energy Sources and supervises them in their final year projects. Apart from teaching, he is actively involved in the undertaking of research and consultancy mostly in the area of renewable energy (RE). One of the notable consultancies he participated in, was the feasibility study for biogas production from animal manure in Zambia. This study was conducted in 2012 and funded by the Netherlands Development Organisation. He has keen interest in RE. For his Master’s thesis, he investigated the potential that biogas production and use has in the reduction of greenhouse gases emissions from different manure management systems in Zambia. Part of the findings led to the design and construction of a 25 cubic meter biogas plant on one of the study farms. In 2013, on a work-exchange program, Mwansa worked for Cronimet Mining Power Solutions; a Germany based company specialized in photovoltaic systems. The three months work experience did not only improve his competency in PV system designing, but also increased his interest in the use of PV systems for energy poverty reduction in Zambia. To continue building expertise in RE, he regularly attends seminars and conferences related to RE development and is an active member of organisations that are in the business of promoting renewable energy technologies such as Biofuels association of Zambia, Water and Sanitation Association of Zambia, Zambia Renewable Energy Agency, etc. He peer reviews biomass related articles to assess their quality for publication in the Zambian Engineer Journal. Recently, he developed interest in energy modelling when it became apparent to him that some of the energy challenges faced in Zambia are due to lack of energy planning tools. He aspires to pursue a PhD study on the integration of RE into the power sector of Zambia.