THE upgrading of electricity generation capacity at Kariba North Bank extension power project has reached 80 per cent completion point and one new generator is expected to be commissioned by the end of this year, ZESCO acting managing director Christopher Mubemba has said.
Over the last two years, ZESCO has been spending about US$420 million at the 360 Mega Watts (MW) Kariba North Bank extension power project in adding two new generators to the existing four.
Mr Mubemba said generator number five was expected be spinning and commissioned by the end of this year while generator number six would be commissioned and operational by early next year.
He said this in Livingstone on Tuesday during his presentations at the Energy Regulation Board (ERB)’s public hearing on ZESCO’s application to revise electricity tariffs by an average of 26 per cent across all customer categories.
Mr Mubemba said ZESCO was intending to invest heavily on electricity generation to meet continued increment in the demand for electricity.
“This year, we have an approved budget under US$ 750 million (KR3.62 billion) to boost power supply.
Over the next five years, we will spend about US$ 5.3 billion on generation expansion, transmission expansion and distribution expansion among others which translates to about KR26.4 billion,” Mr Mubemba said.
On the 120 MW Itezhi-tezhi hydro power project where ZESCO was adding two machines, Mr Mubemba said access roads and offices had already been built at the site while houses for contractors were currently being built.
He said ZESCO was currently concentrating on tunnelling works on the US$ 250 million project where which was 20 per cent complete and was expected to be completed in the year 2015.
On the 750 MW Kafue Gorge lower power project, Mr Mumemba said more works would be done in the next five years.
“This is our biggest project which we will we need to deal with in the next five years as the project will cost us US$2 billion.
Without projects like the Kafue Gorge Lower, we will have power deficits of about 1, 000 Mega Watts by 2020,” he said.
On transmission side, Mr Mubemba said ZESCO had started building 330 kv a line from Pensulo to Kasama as well as another line from Pensulo to Chipata to boost power supply in the surrounding provinces.
“These works are ongoing and once projects are completed within next 18 to 24 months and they will immediately address the current low voltage problems in Northern, Muchinga, Luapula, and Eastern Provinces.
They also will help investors set up projects. It is not a secret within Eastern Province that investors have been interested to invest in so many areas but they can’t so because of low voltage problems,” he said.
In Luapula and Muchinga, investors have also been interested to set up large mines but such projects could not take off due to inadequate power supply.
Out of the US$ 750 million which the Government raised from the euro bond, ZESCO has received US$ 255 million.
About $186 million would be ZESCO’s equity contribution towards the Kafue Lower Gorge project while about US$ 69 million would be for improving electricity distribution and rehabilitation.
We expect no load shedding next year even in kanyama, john laing, chiubolya and other peri urban areas bwana acting director
Nice ladies in the picture. No more load shedding
Contrary boyi to the issue here.we are talking loadsheding iwe ati nice ladies?
Anyway ni friday what can we say ba guy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Chris boyi, Acting MD. Congratulations. So kanshi segu yilya pa camp D yalebomba ayi?
Is this Chris Mubemba who was at Oranje East African College (Isoka Boys class of 1989) in Twelve Blue.
I see Oranje is represented.
WELL DONE ZESCO AND EVERYONE INVOLVED IN THIS PROJECT.
this is what we want to hear. ZESCO has been funding polictical parties at the expense of national development. Expansions have been long overdue and this tendence of acting at the last minute must come to an end. Due to insufficient power supply, Zambia has lost on investment. what’s the gaurantee that investors will wait for 2014? or is it another missed opportunity? Lack of focus in Africa has lead to countless desirable problems. We can’t development like this, lets change our mind set and be more forward thinking!
Where is Ciprian Chitundu? Has he been fired? HAs he been deported?
Out On Duty (AOD)
Away On Duty (AOD)
when will this ‘lyashi’ come to an end kanshi….
every year we hear the same old story from whoever cares to annoy us with this crap.
meanwhile, we continue exporting electricity to tanzania, zimbabwe, south africa, burundi, rwanda, etc. at the expense of our own citizens.
bwafya sana ……
20% patali ka!
ZESCO IS SELLING THIS POWER CHEAPLY TO THESE MINES (LESS THAN HALF THE TARRIFS HOUSEHOLDS PAY) . AND YET ALL THESE LOANS WILL BE PAID BY ZAMBIANS. WE HAVE HEARD HOW THESE MINES EVADE TAXES IN SPITE OF WHAT THE GOVT DOES FOR THEM. NOW WITH INCREASES, POOR ZAMBIANS WILL PAY DOUBLE FOR THESE LOANS.
80% completed but months behind schedule!!
is this mubemba a bemba man? oh i think he was my lecture at unza in EE ,THEN WHY ZESCOS BUDGET IS EQUAL TO THE eurobond US$750MILLION?