A series of pivotal agreements were signed between ZESCO, Zambia’s state-owned power utility, and Power China, aimed at addressing the country’s ongoing energy crisis, which has been exacerbated by one of the worst droughts in recent history. The agreements are seen as a critical step in diversifying Zambia’s energy sources and mitigating the impact of climate change-induced energy shortages.
The agreements include a framework cooperation for the supply, delivery, and installation of rooftop solar systems across Zambia, an Engineering Procurement and Construction (EPC) agreement for the Kariba North Solar Photovoltaic (PV) project, and an EPC agreement for the Kafue Gorge Lower Solar PV power plant. These projects are expected to significantly alleviate Zambia’s energy deficit once completed.
President Hakainde Hichilema, present at the signing, emphasized the importance of these agreements in securing a sustainable energy future for Zambia. “We are fully aware of the negative impacts of energy insecurity on our economy, hence our resolve and determination to find a lasting solution,” President Hichilema said.
He highlighted the severe challenges faced by the energy sector, noting that the current drought has further exposed Zambia’s vulnerability to hydroelectric power dependency. “The drought has had a cascading effect on our economy and our people’s livelihoods, especially on the most vulnerable in society – women and youths. However, this crisis has also strengthened our resolve to emerge even stronger as a nation.”
The President stressed that diversifying Zambia’s energy mix, reducing reliance on hydroelectricity, and embracing solar energy are crucial steps to building a resilient energy sector. “We are determined to shift away from dependence on hydroelectric power, which is increasingly susceptible to the effects of drought and climate change. These agreements are a testament to our commitment to a sustainable and diversified energy future.”
The projects initiated under the agreements are expected to bolster Zambia’s energy capacity and reduce the strain caused by recurring droughts. As the nation navigates its energy challenges, the agreements represent a significant milestone in Zambia’s journey towards energy security and climate resilience.
We have trained engineers, we have the resources but somewhat dull and hopeless.
Humble Dr Kaunda used money from copper to set up industries. He created Mulungushi Investment solely to provide services to the mines.
Anyway as things stand we can welcome anything from anyone including the devil.
The devil may do a better job than Hichilema lol.
If the previous administration had applied there efforts to the challenge, we’d not be here. The next one won’t!
@Zulu Dominic forget the previous administration… your man told us that as soon as he became president he would end loadshedding. Of course the droughts started to affect the dam water levels sometimes back and that’s why they built those hydros on the Kafue. The key question is what happened to the solution HH said he had?
When the President was told that the waters were dwindling and we needed to ration the malaiti, he asked engineers to go out and look for more water for hydropower, pleading that he was in part voted to republican presidency owing to citizens’ frustrations on erratic electricity. Perhaps he wanted experts to manufacture water or aimed to use water bowsers to fill up the dam levels. Who knows?
Too little, too late.
Is the world ending? Late for what exactly? Your grandchildren will benefit from this.
How do you know anything has been signed. You have an overzealous reporter in China who thinks everything being signed is an agreement. Yesterday he was telling us about securing commitment. Knowing he has a sceptical audience has made him change his script today.
Anyone with 1/2 a brain could have seen this coming over a decade ago. Why wait until now to simply “react?” Now that people are suffering you are suddenly concerned? This is the essence of what is wrong with Zambia, in all government sectors. Smart Zambia for example, is incapable of achieving anything to modernize systems that are over a decade out of date. Fire the people who run these divisions and get new blood, people who can actually get results!!
Don’t forget HH was voted in on the issue of LOADSHEDDING and indeed the first thing he did was to instruct Zesco to supply power 24 hours….We have ended loadshedding ” What he didn’t know was that the more power generated the more water was consumed in an already dying Lake Kariba…..here we are now.
We had water in the Kariba Dam, we used it like we always and should do. Maybe you expected HH to cultivate electricity?
..and why did this historic agreement signing have to wait until FOCAC meeting? Our President always thinks he not turn to China just in case he annoys the West.
Since Mnangagwa is also with Hichilema in Beijing, has our President mentioned to him that the recent UNHRC report was in stead meant for Zimbabwe and not Zambia? We never have direction.
Just go to Switzerland or France and you will see that the same water can be used twice, thrice four times five times etc. You can construct cascading hydroelectric systems. Ask your overly pompous engineers how their counterparts in Europe are doing it then the lazy government can build multiple-use schemes on our numerous rivers. Be realistically productive instead of clinging to fake “Eng” titles. Denmark has no rivers but has no loadshedding. How about asking them how they do it?
And according to the Supreme leader Ayatollah Hakainde Hichilema this is it….he has solved load shedding and this is why things are getting worse because we have a leader who is well bent on convincing Zambians that he is working hard and yet he is just fooling around…just wait for 3 months and ask him what happened to the so called ” agreement “….and he will have no answers….just like the way he fooled Zambians about debt restructuring and they started jumping up and down…..lies have very short legs…
@ Mr Zambia
Its because we have Politicians who are very good at deceit….and if you ask HH about the same Energy agreement 6 months from today you will hear a different story….and by then Zambia will be in total darkness….
The problem is ZESCO and corruption…not drought…they’re exporting Electricity and the money ends up in their pockets….if you read between the lines this agreement has zero substance……all this is to fool his gullible praise singers….
The problem is we have a pathological liar masquerading as a leader….infact all Politicians are pathological liars….look at USA Politicians….they spend billions overseas and yet they can’t take care of gun violence and crime in the USA…they’re more worried about Ukrainians being killed than their own citizens. ..
Power China has been operating in Zimbabwe for over 10 years now and still the country is in total darkness….Power China is already in Ghana and now they’re experiencing loadsheding 22 hours a day….when you build a house in Ghana you have to find your own source of Electricity because their electricity company is dead…..and Lumbani Madoda praise singers will start jumping up and down thinking that the Supreme leader Ayatollah Hakainde Hichilema has done something….in reality HH has done nothing….lies have short legs….ask HH a year from today about the same Power China agreement….and he will point at PF
No country can help us solve our
Energy crisis but ourselves. Stop
Exporting power and keep the little
We generate for ourselves. Let these big mining companies create
Their own power using solar.lastly
Use water allocated to us for power
Generation properly.
Always El Nino and servere drought
BUT never a mention about the bosses not forseeing the critical dam levels etc.
YAWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
There is nothing wrong with hydroelectricity as a power source. The problem in Zambia is that the govt decided to sale electricity beyond the capacity of the hydroelectricity installations. What do you expect to happen if you can not plan? The Chinese can assist us construct the two power stations on the Luapula River (Mumbotuta and Mambilima). Thy can also assist us to increase our coal power generation to 1GW. The solar power plants that GRZ is planning to install are not sustainable. We also need to produce more ethanol in the country for petroleum substitution. the Chinese and Indians can help us for this
Do we honestly need China to come here and do these things that we can all do for ourselves without incurring debt? Was it not this same HH who shunned China for his Western masters only to crawl back to the East like this swallowing his vomit back? This is shameful.
We do not have the money and experience to build these power stations on time. Even if we had the money, it would probably take us ten years to complete the power stations. However, the Chinese can turn around a hydro project in three years optimistically, five years at worst.
We cant! Period
@ anonymous, ati hh exported electricity So you wanted him to store electricity in the storage room for the next three yrs. Shallow thinking
……..
We just get manipulated like pappets on a string……..
Zbians were told by the solar manufacturing industry in China that it is impossible to establish a solar industry in zambia………
And they belive……
That’s like a rapist telling his victim the police won’t do anything………
Bynow 80% of domestic power use should have been off solar had we established a solar industry using our copper…..
What a lie Spaka! What you quote is not the language of the Chinese. They have no “impossible” in their vocabulary. Impossible for minds like ours that have been brainwashed to think only the whiteman can operate technology. Thats why the Chinese are about to become the world’s number one economy-its only Covid that has slowed them.
When KK asked the Italians and the British for a railine to Dar they told him it was impossible because they wanted him to kneel before Ian Smith and repent. He turned to Mao and China came in and constructed it in record time. The Chinese have constructed the world’s longest bridge: The Shangai Nanjing bridge which carries a high speed railway is 162 kilometres long. In Zambia they constructed Zambia’s longest bridge on the Mongu Kalabo stretch. If HH, Lungu, and previous presidents are clever they should seek technological partneerships with China. Bring them to UNZA and the school of Engineering will wake up
When KK asked the Italians and the British for a railine to Dar they told him it was impossible because they wanted him to kneel before Ian Smith and repent. He asked Mao and China came in and constructed it in record time.
The Chinese have constructed the world’s longest bridge: The Shangai Nanjing bridge which carries a high speed railway is 162 kilometres long. In Zambia they constructed Zambia’s longest bridge on the Mongu Kalabo stretch
I think HH should not be asking Chinese to install solar power. That type of projects can be one by Zambians themselves. What they should be asking is for assistance in hydroelectricity and coal power schemes. It will be a missed opportunity if all they come back with are the solar installations
@ Maria
You’re 100% correct….Solar power is not very effective and it can be done by Zambians not the Chinese…we need upgraded hydroelectricity and coal power schemes
Awe shuwa. Sometimes I feel so embarrassed at the gullibility of the African — also the Zambian. You have solutions ba kapala imwe. Just harness your resources and run with it. Lekeni ukwiba, bukaitemwe, na kapatulula.
Thats in the blood
There is no difference between HH and those scammers that promise “indalama shabalanda nashifuma”. Where has the story of Dubai gone to? Where has Chambeshi river moved to Mr Gary Nkombo? Where is the 14hrs? How much is fuel? How much is the poisoned mealie meal? How much is fertilizer? We are now as good as Zimbabwe that was being used as a yard stick for Zambia.
There was some real dumba$$ comments about not exporting electricity but keep it to use for ourselves.
I though I will put this fact in here:
The duration for which a battery can store electricity depends on its capacity, discharge rate, and the energy consumption of the connected devices. Battery life can range from a few hours to several days, depending on these factors.
Ask yourselves the question: how long have we had this emergency?
Is it not more than a few hours to several days.
Most of you who write in are so ignorant and in most case semi literate.
Typical praise singer. Just go back and watch the video about HH Dubai story and then come back and call people ignorant. Also watch Gary Nkombo talk about Chambeshi river then you call people ignorant again. People voted in this government on the pretest that they hard solutions. What do we have now?
I agree fully
and the cost of solar is prohibative for most
Hopefully they are not simply dumping useless solar panels on Zambia in exchange for copper and cobalt
Flashback 2016 Zambia signed US$2.3 billion agreement with China to construct a railway line from Chipata to Serenje….we’re now in 2024…..the agreement paper was probably used in the toilet
HH is now officially WORSE than PF
Am glad that at least Zambians have realized that they were duped by HH….hopefully one day Zambians will be blessed with a very good leader like Ibrahim Traore of Bukina Faso