Zambia to Extend Power Cuts to 17 Hours

Minister of Energy Makozo Chikote said this will come into effect starting Sept. 1, 2024.

In remarks delivered at an energy update press briefing, Chikote said the water levels in reservoirs for hydropower plants have continued on a downturn trend, with Kariba Dam, which supplies water to the biggest plant, Kariba Power Station, remaining with only 10 percent of usable water for power generation.

He said the power deficit is expected to increase by 300 megawatts (MW), while scheduled maintenance at Maamba Collieries Limited, which runs a coal-fired power plant, is expected to cause another 135 MW deficit during September.

"Given all these factors, it is necessary to consider extending the current power rationing hours, especially for residential customers. For last week's update, Zesco did indicate that the average power rationing time was 14 hours per day. Therefore, the nation is now informed that the official power rationing hours will extend to 17 hours effective Sept. 1, 2024," he said.

He, however, said the government was actively pursuing additional power imports from the Southern African Power Pool to minimize shocks to productive sectors of the economy, such as mining and manufacturing.

According to him, the available power generation remained at an average of 890 MW against a total installed capacity of 3,777 MW, while the national average peak demand remained at 2,400 MW, resulting in a power deficit of 1,510 MW.

Zambia is facing a power deficit necessitated by low water levels in its hydropower plants following poor rains experienced during the 2023/2024 season. Over 80 percent of Zambia's electricity comes from hydropower.

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