Zesco promises to reduce load shedding

Zesco promises to reduce load shedding
By Kabanda Chulu
Saturday April 12, 2008 [04:00]

ZESCO Limited has said load shedding of electricity will not end but will just be reduced when power rehabilitation projects are completed in March 2009. During a quarterly media briefing in Lusaka yesterday, Zesco director of rehabilitation and generation projects Musonda Chibulu said electricity demand was unpredictable due to the increasing economic development in the country.

“Demand has shot up beyond projections and to suppress it, we have to implement load shedding hence this exercise will not end but will be reduced after completion of rehabilitations works (March 2009) and the current capacity stands at 1,100 mega watts against demand of 1,430 mega watts,” said Chibulu.

And Zesco director of distribution and supply Joe Chiyassa said load shedding was necessary because it helped to strike a balance between supply and demand and to prevent damage to power generation equipment.

“Economic development is fuelling high growth in electricity demand and rehabilitation works will only bring relief through additional mega watts,” said Chiyassa.
And Zesco managing director Rhodnie Sisala said the company had put in place short, medium and long-term measures to address the power deficit that had necessitated load shedding.

He said once completed, the works would result in additional 210 mega watts from the up-rated machines while in the medium-term, Zesco was developing the Itezhi- tezhi power station with a capacity of 120 mega watts and the Kariba North Bank extension whose capacity would be 360 mega watts.
All these projects would cost about US $500 million and would be completed in 2012.

Sisala said in the long-term, potential sites such as Kafue Lower, Kabompo Gorge, Kalungwishi and Batoka Gorge, had been identified and would be developed once developers and financiers were secured.

“However, we appeal to customers to consider electricity as a scarce and strategic resource hence the power shortage can be managed with collective responsibility through energy efficiency,” said Sisala.