Zambia To Import Power From Mozambique To Alleviate Load Shedding

ZESCO has signed an agreement with Mozambique’s state energy company to purchase an additional 40 megawatts of power, bringing the total level of imports from Zambia’s neighbour to 90MW – enough electricity to power 81,000 homes for a year.

ZESCO managing director Victor Mapani said the additional power capacity would be prioritised for key economic sectors, including mining and agriculture, in order to abate the current load shedding, which has been brought on by the drought affecting much of southern Africa.

Once vital economic sectors are protected, Mr Mapani said the electricity would be extended to the social sector as well.

The ZESCO chief clarified to ZNBC that negotiations were technically still ongoing but Electricity of Mozambique CEO Marcelino Alberto said the agreement had been pre-emptively signed because of the warm relationship between Zambia and Mozambique.

Last month, President Hichilema declared a state of national emergency due to the persistent drought which is affecting Zambia as a result of the El Niño weather phenomenon and the impacts of climate change.

The lack of rainfall has lead to a power deficit as Zambia is largely dependent on electricity generated by hydroelectric dams. To combat this, President Hichilema instructed ZESCO to implement planned load shedding and to explore options for importing additional electricity.

Zambians are advised to use alternative sources of energy, such as gas for cooking.

The drought has affected countries across southern Africa, with Zimbabwe and Malawi also declaring states of emergency.

In the long run, government has committed to diversifying Zambia’s energy sector in order to improve future resilience. The government has already signed investment deals for solar projects with the UAE and UK and is exploring options for greater private sector involvement in the energy market.