The Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO) has attributed the increased load shedding currently being experienced in the country to a power generation deficit of 250 Mega Watts.
Company Acting Managing Director, Victor Mundende, says the deficit has been caused by increased mining, industrial and agricultural investments.
Mr. Mundende says despite this increase, there has been delayed investment in the company’s transmission distribution systems.
ZANIS reports that Mr. Mundende said this at a press briefing in Lusaka this morning.
He has also cited hydraulic limitations and rehabilitation works as some of the causes of the deficit in generation from the company’s power stations.
He said load shedding management is being carried out to protect the generation equipment, which would automatically shut down should there be an overload, a situation he says would be costly.
Mr. Mundende also stated that ZESCO has put in place short and long term mitigation plans such as the installation and upgrade of substations and transformers.
And Mr. Mundende has disclosed that the current voltage profile of the company in the Northern and Luapula provinces is not good.
He says the profile is expected to improve with the commissioning of the 180 Mega Watts generator at Kariba North Bank and the 50 Mega Watts from Ndola Energy, increasing the overall generation to 1, 835 MW, as compared to the current 1, 605MW being generated.
He has also disclosed that the company’s immediate and long term projects amount to a total of over five (5) billion dollars, part of which has already been sourced.
Mr. Mundende said other mitigation measures to improve delivery include the distribution of energy saver lamps, on which the company has so far spent over one (1) million dollars.
He has further dispelled assertions that the lamps are harmful to human life, saying they are merely a compact version of florescent tubes that are currently used widely.
He says the lamps have a very low content of mercury that is relatively harmless because it is used up as the lamp expires.
Zesco shud be sued for the damage to our property they r causing..#Useless
So it has nothing to do with the cold weather? Interesting to note that you have worked day and night to figure out the problem. Kudos to zesco for finally cracking it!
ZESCO management is so useless. They can be very profitable and operate better. These guys are just not serious, ZESCO should be privatized, and maybe we can have better service. This Country will not go anywhere. Let the mines invest in their own power, why punish poor Zambians??
Fhuk u zesco… U need another competitor to be providing electricity to the people of zambia.. U R MAKING LIFE A LIVING HELL
you chaps are just dull..no plan..find a better excuse..
Like Chimbwi No Plan. The Underfive was the Undertaker on this one. Very correct.Â
The PLAN is to use human activity in our mushrooming brothels to generate the 250 MW deficit, luckily the activity peaks during electricity consuptionn peaks, all we need is to get our cadres now employed by ZESCO to place transformers at these facilities.
ZESCO customer service people, when you pay to have the new meter at your house they will not come and put it unless they receive a bribe from you, useless guys. If they want money so much why cant they put a bribe or tip fee in the whole price of new stupit meters. ZESCO management should look into thsi matter and deal with those culprites found guilty because the’re ruining the companys image :(
This is not new to us who stay/live in the Lusaka compounds. Load shedding is there all the time! I always wonder if this load shedding is only targeted us who don’t pay gold money! I always have a chat with friends who have been lucky to secure accommodation in places like Woodlands, Kabulonga, New Kasama and the like. With them load shedding is something that is just a joke because power interruption is only for about five minutes and that happens after many weeks if not months. Now I question myself if load shedding is only targeted some quarters only. Listening to ZNBC TV news at 1900hours every day is now luxury!
Poor planning, poor focusing, poor management…. i can continue saying poor this and that it won’t change anything. we are dealing with people who listens with one ear while the information flows out through the other ear. Ooh, ZESCO! pity you.