Despite grappling with power deficits in 2015 and 2016, Zambia’s power generating capacity has improved to 1,901MW versus a 1,900MW at peak hour. This was contained in a statement issued by Minister of Energy Honorable David Mabumba before Parliament today.
The Minister attributed the improvement to the following:
1. Increase in generation at Kafue gorge power station from 630MW to 900MW against a 900MW installed capacity. Water levels are 2.74m above minimum dam operating levels of 974m which ZESCO has instituted spilling gate measures to manage levels.
2. The Kariba North Bank contributes 380MW against a 1,080MW installed capacity. The Kariba is 5.25m above the 475.5m minimum dam operational level against the 488.5m maximum desired level as at 13 March.
3. The Itezhi Tezhi Reservoir dam is currently at 1,027.91m representing 82% of its full storage capacity generating 82MW against 120MW installed capacity.
4. The Victoria Falls is firing 118MW of power to the grid.
5. Maamba Thermal Coal plant is contributing 300MW to the grid.
Total generation capacity from ZESCO stands at 1,493MW while Independent Power Production – IPP contributes an additional 493MW pushing the total to 1,901MW versus a peak demand of 1,900MW.
The IPPs include Lunsemfwa Hydro and Maamba Thermal. Average demand oscillates around 1,608MW.
Zambia still has to import about 75MW From Mozambique, the Minister said.
Another proof PF are the right Party to lead us in the next century. Let bygones be bygones and give this Government a chance to lead you. It is only through your support that, they will achieve what you voted them for. For a moment, how about giving credit , where its due for a change? Onward and Upwards- Thank you for accepting a Party lead by a visionary man in his Honourable EC Lungu
Thanks
BB2014,16
Why import power when you are operating at capacity which is above average demand??
Increased production, a lot of electricity in stock, but tariffs are up by 75%.
No clue what he’s trying to say here or what message he’s trying to convey… Mushota, power is a basic service and need that every govt ought to be providing to it’s citizens or at least create an enabling environment for private sector to provide the service. So no ‘credit’ or praises to these PF guys. In fact the majority of rural Zambia still don’t have access to electricity despite lots of money being provided by the donor community for ‘rural electrification’ programs that end up in these masholi’s pockets. So this so called ‘capacity’ is just for folks in cities which is a shame.
MUSHOTA YOU HAVE CHANGED YOUR TUNE. WHAT WAS THE VALUE OF YOUR WRITING CRAP?
No he’s not accepted at all. He has stolen our democracy and put it in his back-pocket and you expect us to fold our arms and just say we accept him and his misdemeanors. the dude has got it wrong. Mushota you are a bad species.
FOR TRIBALISTS AND HATERS THIS IS NON NEWS
THEY WANT TO BE READING ABOUT GOVT FAILURES AND NOT ABOUT THE FAILURE OF THE ARCH REGIONALIST hh.
SHAME ON THEM.
This is exactly what we talked about during the elections that those dramatizing electricity generation would be ashamed as the rain season returns and with new efforts to increase production through Maamba, the new solar farms (solar not even online and national grid yet) we would be back to full capacity if not exceed it.
The smart people of the Zambian Enterprise chose the right leadership and that’s why I love ECL, man!!! He is perfect for the purposes for which he was created and that’s to lead the smart people of Zambia the beautiful. As UNIP as I am, I am still his number one fun.
Mr. President, keep focusing on what you are hired to do and the rest will be history … you are the best!!!
Good question [email protected] increase tariffs when production is at its best??Do they want to pay back the debts they accumulated from the power imports last year? We want good and honest answers.
Another energy excrete not expert at it. The bottom line is, the price increase will be passed on to us the consumers. So whatever this excrete is saying is bull crap. What we are forgetting is that everyone who uses energy in their production cycle will pass this costs to the cost of their products and services which we end up paying for. So there is nothing to be proud of Mr. energy excrete, our salaries have never been increased by 75% since I started breathing. What we will end up paying for is the lack of vision and sheer incompetence by Zesco to invest more during the time they were making profits for future expansion. Its like having more children without planning for it.
@ ABAUME
WHAT DO YOU GAIN FROM INSULTING LANGUAGE EXCEPT OPPROBIUM.
SHAME ON YOU.
Whats the rationale for importing power from Mozambique, when figures above indicate end point for external sourcing?
Imagine, why would you import, when the figures are indicating that we are okay. Ku temwa inkongole…. You even kongola what you can’t use shame.
South Africa generates 45,000 megawatts against Zambia’s 1,900 megawatts. Shame on us lazy Zambia we’re stuck in gear one.
whats the size of SA?
Nene South Africa is 3.375 bigger than Zambia in terms of population. Zambia needs to generate 13, 333 megawatts to be equal to South Africa. As it is, Zambia is pathetic.
Where is the Lunzua 14.8 MW, Chinsali 1 MW, etc
READ THE ARTICLE CAREFULLY!
“Zambia’s power generating capacity has improved to 1,901MW versus a 1,900MW at peak hour…..”
There is your 1 MW !!!!
then why balunda ma tariff?
What the minister has failed to say is we have a very small surplus at the moment and that is because the mines are either closed or on low production if you look at the amount of power used in say 2012 it would be double also what about new customers in rural areas that want to get connected or new housing in larger cities that want power, then we will have shortages again , we use to export to Bots and Namibia but not now- big forex loss no thought for the future PF.
Ba Ken twafula pa blog apa. This is my name bane.
@GJC, contract for importation was signed when we had a power deficit. So that contract has to be honored even when our generation capacity has increased. Remember we were in the same situation where we had export contract that we had to honor even in the midst of the power crisis we had.
On increasing the tarrifs, this is to attract investment. Maamba for instance expanded their capacity on the understanding that they will get good wholesale price per MW.
Zambia’s power generating capacity has improved to 1,901MW versus a 1,900MW at peak hour. The difference here is 1MW. Do you call this improvement ? The PF Fools are so desperate.
Good information, just take a calculator and multiply that by the average standard tariff then compare with Zesco’s income you will notice that so much power isn’t accounted for. Importation? yes, that’s simple, some border towns are not connected to Zesco grid but rely on supplies from neighbours
If there is no more load shedding, then this is good news. I will indeed give them a pat on the back.
You can not compiar Zambias GDP to SA by far so have credit And build on it
From this information, there is nothing grz has done and still operating below installed capacity. Is the minister saying that there is no need for tariff increase?
What manner of Dick is Mushota sucking this time whose cum she is swallowing is dementing her so bad again? I at some time thought she was coming back to her senses, it’s surely got to be someone else she is nailing besides her imaginary Nick, could it be Dununa Chimbwili!
CRITICIZE WITH KNOWLEDGE NOT IGNORANCE! INTELLECTUALS ARE WATCHING
It’s just the water levels that have gone up. So what credit and to who? Are people normal in this country?
Distinguish between installed capacity and actual generating capacity. it is like you car with speed of 300km/h and you only drive it at 160 km/h max. Refer to this, “The Kariba North Bank contributes 380MW against a 1,080MW installed capacity.” Meaning we are not utilizing the installed capacity due to either, mechanical issues, dam structural integrity, water level or a combination of factors. this is the main reason we still import power.
Our mere achievement of installed capacity equaling peak demand is not good as any problems with one power station and we are in deficit. We need more installed capacity at any given time so as to help Zesco do proper maintenance without being on the rush as they would have load-shaded an area. If we had more installed capacity, we would give…
Excellent point.
Our peak demand should be at least 15% less than installed capacity for a healthy supply.
If we had more installed capacity, we would give Kariba a break and doing so would let that dam fill quickly and let Zesco look at the new equipment to adjust them for efficiency purposes.
I hope we will not ever again do the Lower gorge egg drop PF did when the came to power. This excess water they want to push out of Kafue Gorge would have been used for generation.
On tariff, Zesco need to charge the mining industry higher tariff than the household consumers. it is a shame that we may be the only country in the world where individuals pay more for electricity than commercial consumers. those private agreements have to change
On tariff, Zesco need to charge the mining industry higher tariff than the household consumers. it is a shame that we may be the only country in the world where individuals pay more for electricity than commercial consumers. those private agreements have to change.
The argument of cost is not a real one from where I stand from because, take a one to one per pound cost of production of copper in Zambia vs Chile/Peru/SA and you will find that Zed copper cost low on electricity, wage etc. the cost on looks big when they add sunk/investment cost which they do in other countries. yes we are marginally expensive on transport but the other cost offset that. It is time that GRZ stop accepting these arbitrarily figure of we have invested $1 billion which really if you did a forensic audit…
It is time that GRZ stopped accepting these arbitrarily figure of “we have invested $1 billion” which really if you did a forensic audit cannot be justified.
I have labored to show this as it affects the capacity of Zesco to charge the mines what should be rightly charged as tariff.
Note: right now we are generating at about 60% (my best guess) of our installed capacity, owing to Kariba being at 35% and Itezhi Tezhi at 82%.
Ba Zega you are saying you get 300MW from Maamba when you always request for less. No need to import from Mozambique when you have enough. currently you have at least increased to 200MW and thats what you are getting from Maamba.
“Total generation capacity from ZESCO stands at 1,493MW while Independent Power Production – IPP contributes an additional 493MW pushing the total to 1,901MW versus a peak demand of 1,900MW.”
Maths is hard for some people…. 1493+493=1986 not 1901. This is poor journalism… there’s no proofreading at all…
This minister does not get it! If supply is higher than demand, the prices MUST FALL! This is basic economics. If the demand is higher than the supply, prices rise, and inflation is kicked in! This minister does not understand that once power is generated and not used, it cannot be stored like water. It just is wasted. It means that ZESCO MUST NOW SEEK more users in order to make the over demand power be used so that they make money. ZESCO does not make any money if the power generated is not used. SO, THE QUESTION MUST BE, WHY IMPORT EXCESS POWER THAT ZAMBIA DOES NOT NOW NEED??? This is crazy for the country to import power that it does not need to use as there is no demand for it anywhere in Zambia. Unless ZESCO builds connections to additional users who are currently NOT connected.
I see the configurations. What happened to renewable and sustainable energy…I hear of solar . I take it those have not reached economies of scale for market penetration. The one thing I know is that Rural Zambia is a market for eletrcity and it would make sense to seek alternative sources of energy when hydropower is dependent on water/dam water levels which is prone to drought and decreased rainfall. Lets scale up other power sources and extend the grid to areas not covered. This will certainly help my folks at the village in Keembe as well be a harbinger for economic activity.
Thank Mr. Mumba for your positive contribution and well done Zambia! Haters will die of “ichikonko!” Mushota thank you for your objective comment!