Government On Course to End Load Shedding - HH

President Hakainde Hichilema says Zambia is on course to solve its electricity challenges.
Hichilema explained that the government is working hard to reduce its dependence on hydropower by investing in solar energy.

President Hichilema spoke to journalists on Monday, 28 January, at the Zambia Air Force base at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport before departing for Tanzania, where he will attend the Mission 300 Africa Energy Summit in Dar es Salaam.

“We are on the road to solving this challenge of load shedding; this drought is a problem on the one hand, on another it is an opportunity to move resources away from wastage into investments like electricity”, said the president.

“When we have a drought, and you are dependent on hydro[electric power] like us, we need to reduce our dependence on hydro. That's why you see the solar investment. You've seen Chisamaba 100MW. We would like you to put solar on your rooftop, Zambia-wide, and lower the costs,” Hichilema continued.

In response to the once-in-a-generation drought, the Government has kickstarted a ‘solar explosion’ of new renewable energy projects, coupled with investment in traditional hydrocarbons to ensure maximum reliability. 

In 2024, in addition to Chisamba’s 100MW project, Maamba Energy broke ground on its $400 million, 300MW Phase II coal-fired power plant, and Copperbelt Energy Corporation issued $97 million in green bonds to develop the second phase of the Itimpi Solar Plant. The plant will add 136MW of additional capacity to reach 250MW in 2025. 

The Mission 300 initiative aims to provide electricity access to 300 million people on the continent by 2030. President HH is expected to hold bilateral meetings with leaders to discuss regional and global issues.