Power utility ZESCO says the national grid will be boosted by the injection of about 270 MW of power from Maamba coal fired power plant starting mid-November 2016.
ZESCO Senior Manager Marketing and Public Relations Bessie Banda said this will result in a remarkable reduction in the national power deficit and subsequently in the extended load shedding that has been experienced in the last few weeks in some parts of the country.
Ms. Banda said Maamba Collieries Limited has constructed a 300 MW mine mouth coal fired power plant in Sinazongwe District of Southern Province.
She said two generators of 150 MW output have been installed at the power station. When fully commissioned, the power plant will produce 300 MW out of which 270 MW will be injected into the Zambian electricity grid.
Ms. Banda said the other 30 MW will be utilised at the Maamba plant adding that the first generator at Maamba was commissioned on 24 July 2016 while the second generator is ready and being prepared for synchronization to the national grid.
“Since commissioning, the first generator at Maamba has produced and dispatched about 65,346MWh into the Zambian power grid and ZESCO has been buying this power. However, on 9 October, the Southern part of the Zambian grid that is connected to Maamba power station was separated from the rest of the national grid to enable completion of the transmission line upgrade works between Muzuma and Kafue Town,” Ms Banda said.
“Consequently, power from Maamba became unavailable to the national grid thereby temporarily aggravating the power deficit the country is facing. Maamba is currently only supplying parts of Southern and Western Provinces.”
Ms. Banda said the line upgrade works have been undertaken in order to increase the transmission capacity from Muzuma in readiness for evacuation of the 270 MW from Maamba as well as the additional power to be generated under Maamba Phase II.
“The transmission line upgrade works between Muzuma and Kafue Town will be completed by 11 November, 2016 when the line will be restored to service. It is expected that the current load shedding will be reduced once these works are completed.”
we have heard this song before, mamba will be switched on once new tariffs takes effect. They cannot supply power at “loss” and boma has no money to subsidise us. Tell us some thing else.
PF rocks!! Weldone guys. We love you. Suffer a little and enjoy for a long time. May retards like Jay Jay keep on hating.
These i.d.i.o.t.s are not telling the nation the truth. That power is already contracted out for export!!!
Keep tabs on HH. He can sabotage.
Southern province can indeed be a country of its own. 90 % of zambia’s energy; 90% of Zambia tourism; 70% of zambia’s agriculture
Total lies, as usual. When blackouts continue in November they will come up with new stories and explanations, hoping that we would have forgotten this one. LIARS, LIARS, LIARS!
Hard work by PF! Job well done guys!
@1.3 Kajanana, on Energy yes but on Agric and Tourism you may need to recheck. Unless you tell me all the power that go to South Luangwa are only 10% of total tourist and that 70% of food produced,consumed within or exported out of Zambia comes from Southern Province? Go to Kasumbalesa and ask those traders where they buy their produce from. You can say that because for a long time leadership has focused on “developing ” Zambia with a colonial model. Otherwise there are areas in Zambia with greater Agric potential than Southern Province and any wise leader who put focus on agric,tourism and manufacturing will help to realize the full potential of our great country. Just see what is happening with sugar and palm oil plantations taking shape in northern parts of Zambia!!
“….Unless you tell me all the power that go to South Luangwa.. sorry I meant “all PEOPLE” NOT power.
ZESCO, your statements are now like a broken record and we, the people, do not know what to believe any more. Kapata says this and you Banda, says that!
Thats my working government!! Way to go!!
You are a John Solyeubwali You Cannot Feel Anything !
He means extended loadshedding will end …even annoucement that are about issues that are months behind schedule empty tins celebrate!!
This why its no surprise that today in our country they are giving out awards for mediocrity!!
Spot on Jay Jay!!
I’m really finding it hard that these pond life P.F supporting lowest of lowlife goons are now getting erecti0ns @ Zesco announcing failure, & substandard service provision.
Load shedding should not even be an issue that leads to Zambians celebrating as if they’ve just won the Fifa World Cup.
Had all the cash these Corrupt P.F, dirty scumb@gs plundered so far been properly invested, Zambians wouldn’t be talking, & dealing with sh1t like load shedding, which is only prevalent in Failed States.
What also worries me is it’s possible that clueless gophers like Kudos, Saulosi, & 0 -0 Vision could one day be in leadership positions in Zed!
The big problem I have with public officials in Zambia THEY SPEAK to make “SOUNDS and NOISE” and RARELY ADDRESS the ISSUE AT HAND! So having said what you have spoken Madam Besie Banda, BY HOW MANY HOURS IS LOADING SHEDDING GOING TO REDUCE??
Foolishness, stupidity, ineptitude, myopia, imbecility, thuggery, opportunism, poverty and backwardness all in many Zambians in leadership
The boat….
‘Maamba is currently only supplying parts of Southern and Western Provinces.”…….. I am in Southern province and power cut are every day, sometimes loadsheeding lasts 15 hour.
PF works with lies. Any lies they propagate gets PF cadres hardons and they celebrate. They do not get it that observant Zambians are all over Zambia. There’s no evidence that SP and WP are faring any better with loadshedding. These are PF lies.
Am in southern province and we are load-shedded twice a week only.
“Since commissioning, the first generator at Maamba has produced and dispatched about 65,346MWh into the Zambian power grid”…
But how much AIR POLLUTION? Coal is the dirtiest and most polluting way of generating power and causes thousands and thousands of deaths from lung problems every year.
When Zambia has massive CLEAN, RENEWABLE natural resources to generate huge amounts of electricity.
Dokotor – Just check how much power is generated from coal in developed countries. Do not cheat yourself and follow things blindly. The development you see in developed countries was achieved with coal-powered power plants.
@ One Zambia, the point is that coal is expensive, non-renewable and polluting, AND the use of it by developed countries has caused global warming and climate change. They know that, and are moving away from coal as fast as they can.
Do you want Zambia to make the same mistake again?
Zambia’s carbon footprint is so faint that we are nonexistent in pollution terms. With over 97% reliance on Hydropower, Zambia must develop other sources of energy – coal, solar, and even nuclear (if these PF00Ls can handle it). Just one poor rain season and the country is suffering. Dams do dry up. Ghana’s Akasombo Dam that created Lake Volta occasionally dries up to zero power production. Zambia has to diversify its energy sources and we should not even apologise for this.
In the short term that one of the solutions.
Any message coming from a Edgar Chakolwa appointed person or employed is a lie.
Donkeys kakwata ifisuma. When you are a donkey all good things are bad, and all bad things are very bad. Hiho hiho hiho hiho hiho hiho.
Even listening to ZNBC News a donkey calls it PF news. Well those of us who follow Zambian and world news, have learnt that Concourt has thrown out the remnants of HH’s petition fir lack of merit. Judge Anne Sitali ruled this afternoon that it does not require much thinking capacity to know what follows after the main petition failed (and was thrown out) for exceeding the allowed time of 14 days. Simply put for low thinking donkeys, if your main petition is thrown out then the situayltion reverts to the status quo, to the previous position. For even more dull donkeys, it is as mo petition took place at all, so the presidential inauguration takes,…
Contd….Simply put for low thinking donkeys, if your main petition is thrown out then the situation reverts to the status quo, to the previous position. For even more dull donkeys, it is as if no petition took place at all, so the presidential inauguration proceeds unhindered, according to the Concourt. Justice Sitali further described HH’s case as an abuse of the court process and time.
From me Terrible, this judgement proves me right that HH’s IQ is that of a donkey, so he must be a donkey..hiho hiho hiho hiho hiho hiho.
Why does HH give the kaponyas sleepless nights ? Is HH in your thoughts day day out , you even get erections when you think of him…..
PF00Ls know their day of reckoning is near. Under the mistaken belief that offence is the best defence, they spend all their time vilifying HH to the extent that they are now failing to run the country. Zambia is on autopilot. Zambia is a failed country.
The chances of load shedding ending under pf are like expecting lungu to lead zambia to prosperity. It is an impossibility. We have more chances of expecting stevie wonder to see. Bane you voted failures so enjoy the failures of power in your homes too. next time basop
Ba kabwa ba pa Tumfweko bonse bali pa Lusaka times after losing for the 99th time to an amatuer in politics. You are afraid of the gangsters on Tumfweko hence moving to L.T where you are not known. Go wipe your behinds you hopeless cre.tins. Wan.kers.
Zmabians wrongly ditched Rupiah Banda for the small problem of “corruption” only to bring in PF with its greater problems of load shedding,high inflation,sinking economy,bigger debts,mine closures and dwindling forex reserves.
So you remember RB?
While corruption under RB was mainly his sons wanting to participate in every deal in town, PF corruption is large-scale and touches everyone. From overpriced construction contracts to tribal recruitment in the civil service, from powercuts to Zambia becoming the third hungriest country in the world. From powercuts to the Kwacha becoming useless due to rapid depreciation. RB now feels like a Saint.
Ba Mzambia Wa zamani muli tole fye. hh wenu tatwakatale atumupelapo opportunity ya kuteka, unless you find another candidate, i don’t know how you will convince me and my relatives to accept somebody who behaves like god.
@10.1 spaka like lilo, maybe unlike you sadists who dont care about your fellow human beings, people like me care about others. We would like to bring back HH to a normal human being. We feel sorry that an otherwise intelligent young man is fast turning into a donkey. Otherwise we have no special interest in a donkey if they choose to be one. Hiho hiho hiho hiho.
Today he is a kalusa again, sangaikwele, he has lost his stupiid case in Concourt. On TV today he really looked like donkey. We await his press conference on tuesday.
It is not HH making you enjoy 8 hour powercuts and turned Zambia into the third hungriest country in the world. It is not HH who has increased fuel prices by 40%. It’s Edward Lungu and PF who are ruining the Zambian economy.
You are absolutely correct Buck teeth Lungu.Some people are living in denial that MMD left this country’s economy much better than the way it is now. How do you explain a situation where a government borrows $1bn to pay off outstanding debts to contractors. Borrowing to pay back loans!!And they brag that they have built us roads? What a reckless undertaking!
UPND cadres what time is HH’s media briefing? We want to hear what he and running mate will say about Justice Annie Sitali on her Concourt ruling yesterday. If he only sees tribe in such an obvious case then it will confirm that he is indeed a donkey. If he accepts the ruling, then he will have earned my respect again. Even Justice Chibomba agrees entirely with Justice Ann Sitali’s verdict and description of the stuiipid case by HH and Gbm. Hiho hiho hiho hiho hiho hiho cries HH today. Can you imagine he even attended the court ruling in person without shame! What an ass (I mean donkey not the insult, I am not chilyata)!
Same stories. we were told loadshedding would reduce once Ithezhitezhi came on board. Now they have increased loadshedding to 8 hours so that they can reduce it again to 4 hours and pretend to be working
LUNGU’S PF GOVERNMENT IS BORING. IT IS A CHIPAANTEPAANTE GOVERNMENT INDEED. THIS GOVERNMENT HAS NO POLICIES. IT HAS NO PROGRAM. LUNGU IS A BLIND PRESIDENT, AND HE IS FAST LEADING US ZAMBIANS INTO A DITCH. THIS INCONSISTENCY IS TYPICAL OF CROOKS AND CRIMINALS’ CHARACTER MASQUARADING AS LEADERS YET THEY ARE SERIOUS LOOTERS AND PLUNDERERS. LUNGU’S GOVERNANCE HAS NO QUALITY IN IT. NOTHING TO WRITE HOME ABOUT.
Load Shedding is not government policy imwe Ba Upnd. You claim that under Levy Zambia had a lot of money if so why didn’t they improve the power resources and roads. In fact load Shedding started in MMD time. Just ask why a union official lost his job at Zesco.
We are eagerly waiting for the time when load shedding shall have reduced be it when God gives us enough water or indeed other sources of generation come into play. Thank you PF for your effort and boldness in dealing with this issue. Some are born complainants and appreciation is not in their vocabulary. Listen to what they are saying but act wisely like you have most of the times.
MMD or PF or Upnd they loading Shedding was going to be there unless you’re are a magician who can just wave a magic wand and power comes. The problem was long coming and whoever tried to forewarn government lost their jobs. Satas first instructions were to Zesco to stop load shedding without looking at the reasons behind load shedding. Some unwittingly hailed Sata ati “chained sana ” without looking at the technical side of the issue.
Stop cheating!! How many times is Maamba going to be switched on this year?
True, same story! Upnd cadres in zesco behind it? Safeguard pipo from exaggerated professional manupilations.why zesco knew this and planned so u waited for the plant to finish then start upgrading lines nonses.fire upnd cadres and other,spare good ones
18 November today and load shedding getting worse