Zambia’s state-owned power company ZESCO, has said it will continue implementing the over 10 hours load shedding for the rest of 2020 if the 750 MW at Kafue Gorge Lower Hydro Power station does not come online by the third quarter this year.
ZESCO, the only power utility company in Zambia has struggled to supply electricity to domestic and commercial customers in the last five years as the country has experienced drought and a lack of investment and diversification in renewable energy like solar and wind turbines.
Majority of Zambia’s electricity generation is through the Kariba North Hydro Power Plant.
Fidelis Mubiana, director, Generation at ZESCO said the over 10 hours of load shedding that the country was experiencing is because Zambia currently has a power deficit of 810MW with generation standing at 1,372MW against the peak demand of 2200MW.
Mubiana attributed the deficit of power to inadequate rainfall in the catchment areas that supply water to the major hydro generation plants in the country.
“The Kariba North Bank Power Station, the biggest hydro generation plant in the country with an installed capacity of 1,080MW is only able to generate about 275MW because of low water levels,” he explained.
He pointed out that despite Zambia generally having received adequate rainfall in the last season, the catchment areas that supply water to Lake Kariba experienced droughts.
Mubiana added that works on the Kafue Gorge lower hydro power plant which was supposed to come online in the second half of this year was have been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. “Contractors from Sino Hydro had gone back to China for holidays but couldn’t come back after the coronavirus outbreak that has ravaged the globe,” he said. “We have instituted level one lock down at Kafue Gorge lower hydro power plant to allow those inside to continue working and not be exposed to the coronavirus and delay the project further.”
Meanwhile, the Zambezi River Authority, which manages lake Kariba on behalf of Zambia and Zimbabwe, has allocated 22 billion cubic metres of water to the utility companies in the two neigbouring countries.
Bob Mwangala, hydrologist, Zambezi River Authority, said owing to the low water levels currently being experienced which are the second lowest since 1995, the authority can’t go beyond what it has allocated.
However, Mwangala expressed optimism of water levels rising by June coming from the Zambezi river and DRC which takes some time.
