Maravi

Zesco partners with Egyptian firms in $20m deal

Zesco partners with Egyptian firms in $20m deal
By Zumani Katasefa in Kitwe
Wednesday November 07, 2007 [03:00]

ZESCO Limited has partnered with two Egyptian firms, El-Sawed and El-Sawed Electro Metre, to set up companies to manufacture distribution transformers and prepaid metres in Ndola with total investment of US $20 million. Zesco director of engineering and development, Alvin Moonga, disclosed in Kitwe on Monday during a public hearing on the corporation’s tariff review that the power company and El-Sawed would each invest US $5 million into setting up a company that would manufacture the transformers in Ndola.

Moonga said once the firm commenced operations, it would make available transformers for quick connectivity of new costumers.
He said the firm would be able to make transformers from 50 KVA up to 2MVA.

He said the company, which is scheduled to commence operations between June and July 2008, would be producing 1,000 transformers per year and would have the capacity to produce extra transformers for export.

Moonga also said Zesco and El-Sawed Electro Metre will invest US $5 million each to set up a company in Ndola that will be assembling pre-paid, credit and maximum demand (MD) metres.
He said designs for construction of the company have already been submitted to Ndola City Council.

He said operations for the company are scheduled for January or February 2008.
Earlier during the meeting, Moonga said inadequate transformers and electricity poles were among the major challenges Zesco was facing in connecting new customers.

He said the company needs 12,000 polls per month but only manages to get 2,000 poles.

Labels: ZESCO

posted by MrK @ 12:26 PM