Zesco restore normal power supply

Zesco restore normal power supply
Written by Chiwoyu Sinyangwe
Sunday,August 09, 2009 9:19:11 PM

ZESCO Limited on Friday evening restored the country’s normal power supply after completing a mandatory post-commissioning test at Kafue Gorge hydropower station, director for generation and transmission Christopher Nthala confirmed yesterday.

Zesco warned of increased load shedding in the country between Thursday and Friday evening after taking out 200 megawatts from the country’s current installed electricity capacity following the mandatory post commissioning checks at the country’s biggest hydropower station which produces 990 megawatts.

The power utility appealed to both industrial and domestic consumers to cut down on power consumption as imports were not immediately feasible due to a regional deficit and infrastructural inadequacies for importation.

In an interview, Nthala said the test was successful, but that the full report from the contractors who did the works would be availed after Zesco fully studied it.

“The position is that the works were completed yesterday shortly after 19:00 hours and we have resumed normal power generation at Kafue Gorge. The system has been restored to normal,” Nthala said. “But we will give you a full report next week…as for results of their finding like deterioration on machinery, that will be availed to you later.”

Nthala said following the shutdown of two generator units three and four at Kafue Gorge power station, the country would be in a power deficit of 200 megawatts because 330 megawatts of the 990 megawatts was removed from the key power plant.

Following the recently completed US $400 million rehabilitation works at Kafue Gorge and the ongoing rehabilitation at the Kariba North Bank, Zambia’s national generation installed capacity is at 1, 630 megawatts which was reduced to about 1, 300 following the Friday works.

Zambia’s maximum load demand is currently at about 1, 500 megawatts.

And Nthala explained that the impact of the outage on the economic activity in the country was mitigated by some power imports from South Africa.

He, however, did not disclose the amount of power imported or the cost of the exercise.

“And I think the effect of the shutdown of one transformer which operates two generators at Kafue Gorge was mitigated by the imports…I think we imported some power and of course, it was from South Africa,” said Nthala.

Last Thursday, Nthala disclosed that Zesco planned to import 80 megawatts from South Africa to cushion the impact of the shutdown.