Government Increases Power Imports to 496MW

The Ministry of Information and Media has confirmed that Government has increased power importation to 496MW in view of the reduced water levels at Kariba Dam. According to a video released by the ministry, government is also actively pursuing additional inputs from Southern African Power Pool countries.

Speaking about other measures government is undertaking in response to the severe drought, which has seen water levels at Kariba Dam fall to around 10%, the Ministry also explained that power rationing would increase to 17 hours as of 1 September 2024.

Net metering initiatives are also being implemented to allow citizens and businesses to generate their own electricity and incentives are being offered for the use of solar geothermal and liquefied petroleum gas.

In addition, the Rural Electrification Authority has been rolling out on and off-grid projects to reduce the burden on the national grid. Three more solar grids have been completed in August bringing the total to 15.

Last week President Hichilema attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of Maamba Energy’s new thermal power plant. The $400 million project is the second such thermal power plant at Maamba’s site. Construction is expected to last until July 2026 and the plant will be capable of producing 300MW of electricity - about 12.5% of Zambia’s total energy demand.

The power plant will help to increase Zambia’s total power supply and reduce the country’s reliance on hydroelectric energy, which has contributed towards the current power shortages during this unprecedented period of drought.

Given the increased risk of drought in the future due to climate change, government is investing in long term solutions to make Zambia’s energy sector more resilient. This includes projects such as the Maamba thermal plant and the promotion of other types of renewable power generation such as solar.

Meanwhile the Minister of Energy has also announced moves by government to create a cheaper tariff for low energy users and is consulting with ZESCO on reforming the system so that consumers who use less are charged less per kilowatt-hour compared to those who use larger amounts. According to the ministry 730,000 low-income citizens represent 56% of ZESCO customers.