Zambia’s power generation to rise to 3000MW by June

Zambia’s installed power generation capacity will by June increase to 3000 megawatts.

Minister of Energy Mathew Nkhuwa has disclosed that this generation capacity will be made possible with the commissioning of two solar plants in the Lusaka South Multi-Facility Economic Zone.

Mr. Nkhuwa has told Q- News in an interview that the first solar plant, Bangweulu, whose generation capacity is 54 megawatts, will be commissioned in March this year.

He says the other solar plant, Ngonye, whose capacity will be 50 megawatts once completed, will be commissioned by June.

Mr.  Nkhuwa says the over 100 megawatts produced from these plants is what will bring Zambia’s generation capacity to 3000 megawatts from its current installed capacity of 2900 megawatts.

He states that with this generation capacity, against the peak demand of 2200 megawatts, the Country will have room to maneuver and preserve water in the Kariba Dam.

And Mr. Nkhuwa notes that all repair works to replace old equipment at the Leopard’s Hill Zesco substation, which caused load shedding in some areas in Lusaka, are now complete.

He says the load shedding being experience in some areas across the Country could only be due faults on Zesco power lines being caused heavy rains.