Zesco explains State House outage
By Henry Sinyangwe
Tue 11 Dec. 2012, 12:00 CAT
ZESCO Limited says the intermittent power outages that were experienced at State House last week were a result of the switch in power supply from one line to another.
President Michael Sata was last week incensed by power cuts during a swearing-in ceremony and wondered how people in areas such as Kanyama were being load-shed.
But Zesco Limited principal public relations officer Yammie Zimba said the outage was caused by a switch from one line to the other as one of the substations supplying State House experienced a failure due to overload.
She stated in response to a press query that State House was on various power supply lines, just like some government institutions such as hospitals and airports which were sensitive installations that require constant and reliable power supply at all costs.
"State House does have a standby generator which provides alternative supply in case of an interruption. State House is adequately catered for in terms of supply of power. Firstly, we would like to emphasize that we do not load-shed State House, hospitals, security houses, airports, all government institutions," Zimba stated.
She stated that Zesco had embarked on a number of projects in generation, transmission, distribution and supply in order to enhance its service delivery and stop the load-shedding throughout the country.
Zimba stated that the power utility was working with the government and other institutions in mitigating load-shedding.
Zesco Limited has since signed a 50 million euro agreement with the European Investment Bank (EIB) for the construction of a 120MW hydro power station at Itezhi-tezhi and a 291 long distance transmission line that will connect the power station to the national grid and the Southern Africa Power Pool (SAPP), she added.
Zimba stated that the commissioning of the Shiwang'andu mini-hydropower station was one of the many projects that Zesco is carrying out in order to increase supply and its commitment to providing safe and reliable electricity to improve the quality of life for all.
Labels: POWER OUTAGES, STATE HOUSE, ZESCO
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Power outages are a danger - Mpombo
By Chibaula Silwamba, Mwila Chansa, Speedwell Mupuchi and Justi
Sun 20 June 2010, 04:02 CAT
FORMER energy minister George Mpombo yesterday charged that countrywide power outages are a danger to national security and the economy and demanded that the government finds a lasting solution to the problem.
And about 110 miners were on Friday trapped for over nine hours in a cage underground at Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) in Chililabombwe due to power outages experienced in most parts of the country.
Meanwhile, operations at Mazabuka Community Radio Station in Mazabuka were paralysed after several equipment including the only transmitter were blown off due to Friday’s intermittent power outages.
Mpombo, who is also MMD Kafulafuta member of parliament, said it would be illogical for Zesco to export power to South Africa now when Zambia had insufficient power for local consumption.
Commenting on the countrywide intermittent power blackout on Friday, Mpombo said the problem was totally unjustified and unjustifiable.
“The situation is of great concern because this is not happening for the first time. Over the past two years, this sort of situation has become common. Energy is the driver of the economy and has serious security implications. Therefore, I think it is important for government to find a way forward in this particular situation because, for instance, it can create unnecessary problems,” Mpombo said.
“And this is happening at the height of the World Cup and it deprives the people the right to enjoy watching the World Cup. Government must go deeper in looking at this particular issue. We must not gross over this particular issue. It has serious implications to the economy and the security of the country. Therefore, we must handle it with great caution and care; let us not skirt around the issues; let’s go deeper and find out the problems.”
Mpombo also called for investments in power generation.
“This is a pattern that has been coming out, it’s a disturbing nature and certainly we cannot continue to live in this particular situation. Also there is the need for government to invest so much resources into the development of hydro-power in the country. There has been too much talk without any action…the development of Kafue Lower, Itezhi Tezhi and some other hydro power project that have been highlighted,” Mpombo said.
“The current situation where there is no power countrywide is not good and must be resolved as quickly as possible. Imagine you have general elections going on and people are voting and this kind of situation happens, it can throw the whole country into disarray. I think we must focus on resolving this particular issue. I would describe the development as totally unjustified and unjustifiable.”
Mpombo also said Zesco must not export power to South Africa at this time of the year.
“It will be illogical to consider exporting power to South Africa given our fragile state of power in the country. I don’t think we have surplus and people will think that this problem has arisen out of Zesco’s interest to supply power to South Africa. It’s an issue that Zesco must put its house in order. You cannot start to export power in this kind of situation obtaining in the country,” said Mpombo.
In January this year, then Zesco acting managing director Cyprian Chitundu said Zesco would supply power to South Africa to help avoid power disruptions during the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
“We support each other with South Africa (and) what is going to happen is that when they need some power, we will be able to give them that power. But I have also realised that we are constrained and so, we are only going to give them power during the off-peak hours when we do not need so much power,” Chitundu had said.
But Zesco’s current managing director Ernest Mupwaya on Thursday dismissed assertions that his firm was exporting power to South Africa.
He said Zambia did not have sufficient power to export. Mupwaya urged Zesco clients to register for text message information system with the firm so that they could be updated about what was happening, particularly concerning faults on the power supply.
Zambia on Friday suffered a massive power blackout that affected most provinces caused by a failed circuit breaker at the power generation plant at Kariba North Bank.
And Mine Workers Union of Zambia (MUZ) secretary general Oswell Munyenyembe said the safety of miners was not guaranteed, urging Zesco Limited to have a back-up plan.
In an interview yesterday, Munyenyembe confirmed that as a result of the power outage, the cage that transports miners to and from underground could not work properly.
“At number one shaft in Konkola, 100 miners were trapped while at number three shaft, 10 miners were trapped in the cage giving us a total of 110 miners. They were in there from about 10:00 hours to 20:00 hours. However, all of them were safely evacuated at 20:00 hours when power came,” Munyenyembe said.
He explained that when power went off, most miners went to shaft three where they were supposed to be ferried to the surface from underground but the cage could not make it because of insufficient power.
Munyenyembe said MUZ was concerned about the safety of its members because this was not the first time such a thing was happening.
“If you remember very well, we had a similar problem last year and we are getting worried because the safety of our members is not guaranteed. If the fans underground were to go off, we would have a very serious problem with ventilation underground,” he said.
Munyenyembe said there was need for Zesco to be proactive by preventing any threat of loss or actual loss of life by ensuring that they had back-up plans to their system in an event of a power outage. He said if the current trend continued, lives could be lost.
“Their Zesco explanation is not very convincing and if such a thing repeats itself, we don’t know what will happen. It’s quite unfortunate and embarrassing for the country,” he said.
And Munyenyembe disclosed that three transformers were blown up at shaft one when power was restored because it came with force. He said a number of computers were also damaged at the general offices in Chililabobwe. He added that number one shaft had also been flooded as a result of the power outage and that the miners were making efforts to pump out the water.
Munyenyembe urged the government to open up the electricity sector for investments in power generation.
At the Chinese owned Non Ferrous Cooperation Africa Mining (NFCA) in Chambishi, some computers were damaged but no miner was adversely affected. A source at the mine said at the time power was disrupted, the cage was stationary.
And Kansanshi Mine public relations manager Godfrey Msiska said the mine lost nine hours of production. He said power was restored at around 17:45 while production only resumed around 19:00 hours.
“I can’t count the cost in terms of loss,” said Msiska.
And Mazabuka Community Radio station has since written to Zesco to complain about the blowing off of its equipment that left the radio station off air.
Station manager Bellon Chintombwa confirmed in an interview yesterday that the transmitter, valued at K70 million and two computers valued at K5 million each were confirmed to have been blown off.
Chintombwa said the equipment was blown off after power tripped and switched on few seconds later with more current.
And in his letter dated June 18, 2010 addressed to the Zesco area manager, Chintombwa appealed to Zesco management to repair the equipment within the shortest possible time.
“It is for this reason that we are writing to request you to look into this matter urgently and find ways of helping to repair the station equipment especially that the radio is off air and we have no standby transmitter,” stated Chintombwa.
And Zesco quickly responded to the complaint and went to inspect the burnt equipment at the radio station.
After the inspection, a Zesco official advised the station to go ahead and repair the equipment and keep the receipts for the costs that would be incurred.
Labels: GEORGE MPOMBO, POWER OUTAGES
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Zambia copper mines suspend output after nationwide power blackout
Friday, June 18, 2010, 15:31
A nationwide power blackout on Friday forced copper mines in Zambia, Africa’s top producer of the metal, to halt output, but the country’s energy minister said electricity supply could resume later in the day.
A fault at a hydro power station triggered the first national blackout to engulf the southern African nation since June 2009, which cost copper producers millions of dollars in lost revenue and dented their copper output. [ID:nLG31563]
Power blackouts are frequent in Zambia, and have been a big concern for the chamber of mines and for foreign mining companies who own most of the key mines in the country’s copperbelt province.
“Power has been restored in Lusaka and we are now moving on to restore power on the Copperbelt,” Energy Minister Kenneth Konga told Reuters.
It was not immediately clear how much production was affected. Maxwell Mwale, Zambia’s mines minister, said he would give a detailed comment on the power blackout’s impact later.
“Production at the mines is affected …I am yet to receive a full report from the minister of energy,” Mwale told Reuters.
An official at Zambia’s biggest copper producer, Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) — majority owned by London-listed Vedanta Resources Plc (VED.L: Quote) — said its operations had been affected, but the group would issue a detailed statement later in the day.
Sydney Chileya, a spokesman for the Luanshya Copper Mines, owned by China Non-Ferrous Metals Corp. (CNMC), said only limited power supply was available.
Frequent power stoppages are likely to affect Zambia’s plans to increase its copper production to 1 million tonnes next year, from just below 700,000 tonnes in 2009, analysts said.
The country has been trying to entice new investors to the sector as demand for the metal increases.
“It also sends wrong signals to investors on availability of energy despite assurances by the government,” Chibamba Kanyama, a member of country’s main economic think-tank, the Economics Association of Zambia, said.
Foreign mining companies operating in Zambia include Canada’s First Quantum Minerals (FM.TO: Quote), London-listed Vedanta Resources Plc (VED.L: Quote), Equinox Minerals EQN.TO)(EQN.AX: Quote), Glencore International AG [GLEN.UL] of Switzerland and Metorex (MTXJ.J: Quote) of South Africa.
PRICES
Copper prices appeared unaffected by news of the blackout, remaining at a one-week low on Friday as investors overlooked increased risk appetite in the wider markets and remained concerned about demand prospects after weak data from the U.S., the world’s largest economy. [ID:nLDE6370XM]
Lucy Zimba, a spokeswoman for electricity utility Zesco, said the cause was due to a fault on a circuit breaker at the country’s Kariba North Bank hydro station, which set off a chain reaction that led to the countrywide blackout.
Zimba said power supply had been restored to parts of the capital Lusaka, and supply to copper mines would follow.
“The blackout was caused by a fault on a circuit breaker at Kariba North Bank (hydro power plant). We are working on the problem to restore power in Lusaka, after which we will try to switch on the Copperbelt lines,” Zimba told Reuters.
The Copperbelt Energy Corp. (CEC), which buys the electricity from Zesco to supply Zambia’s copper mines, said it would try to provide power to the mines for emergency operations through imports from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Zesco has said it needs higher tariffs and additional funds to invest in new generating and transmission infrastructure, and the country has said it plans to invest about $6 billion in the next five years to meet its projected energy needs. (Writing by James Macharia; editing by Sue Thomas)
[Reuters]
Labels: MINING, POWER OUTAGES
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Zambia experiences massive power blackout
By Staff Reporter
Fri 18 June 2010, 13:40 CAT
ZAMBIA suffered a massive power blackout that affected most provinces caused by a
failed circuit breaker at the power generation plant at Kariba Dam.
The power outage that occurred around 10:30 hours affected nearly all parts of the country except for Livingstone and the Western Province.
Zesco Limited managing director Ernest Mupwaya confirmed the power outage but assured that power would be restored as the electricity utility company was working hard to resolve the problem.
In Lusaka, the unexpected blackout affected motorists as traffic lights failed causing massive congestion on the roads.
Labels: ENERGY, POWER OUTAGES
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Power woes threaten mining revival
by MacDonald Dzirutwe
24/03/2010 00:00:00
ELECTRICITY shortages and lack of access to capital is threatening the recovery of Zimbabwe's mining sector, while uncertainty over empowerment laws is keeping investors away, the mining chamber said on Tuesday.
The mining sector has been the mainstay of the country's export earnings since 2000 when commercial agriculture production plunged following President Robert Mugabe's seizure of white-owned farms.
Chamber of Mines President Victor Gapare said the industry's recovery, which started last year after the formation of a unity government by President Robert Mugabe and his long time rival Morgan Tsvangirai, now Prime Minister, was now under threat as miners could not get financing and power shortages worsened.
"Mines have not been able to access both working capital and long term capital to recapitalise. There are no foreign lines of credit for the industry at the moment," Gapare said in an e-mailed response to questions from Reuters.
"With regards to electricity, ZESA (utility) is struggling to supply the (mines)."
The coalition government has said it needs up to $10 billion for the economy to fully recover but Western donors have continued to withdraw badly needed aid and lines of credit until the administration implements political reforms.
Gapare said platinum mines were operating at near maximum production, gold producers at between 30-40 percent capacity but nickel mines remained shut.
He said gold production had been capped at 500kg a month since November 2009 and was likely to remain at this level, giving an annualised output of 6 tonnes this year. Output reached 4.2 tonnes in 2009 up from 3.5 tonnes the previous year.
At its peak in 1999, gold production stood at 27 tonnes.
"It's difficult to see production increasing significantly in 2010 in the absence of capital and electricity," he said. Gapare said the timing of the publication of contentious rules that force foreign-owned firms, including mines to cede 51 percent shares to local blacks, was bad.
He said foreign investors had shown interest in exploiting Zimbabwe's huge platinum reserves and gold, coal, chrome and diamonds, but were holding back until the government clarified its empowerment legislation.
The rules require foreign-owned companies to dispose 51 percent of shares to locals within 5 years and will also target some of the global mining houses operating in the country.
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Number one and two platinum producers Anglo Platinum Ltd and Impala Platinum Holdings have operations in Zimbabwe while Rio Tinto Plc is the largest shareholder in a diamond mine in the south east of the country.
"If we don't put in place an attractive investment regime, we will not win and our leaders have to realise that ordinary Zimbabweans want to see the country working so that we don't become a failed state," said Gapare.
The mining chamber has made recommendations to the mines ministry on what they want included in a Minerals Amendment Bill that is expected to be passed by parliament by the end of 2010.
A previous bill lapsed in parliament in 2007 and the government has been working on a new law. - Reuters
Labels: ENERGY, MINING, POWER OUTAGES, VICTOR GAPARE
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Power outages rile Zambezi residents
By Mwila Chansa
Tue 26 Jan. 2010, 04:01 CAT
SENIOR chief Ndungu of the Luvale people of Zambezi yesterday said people in the area are fed up to the point of wanting to demonstrate over persistent power blackouts in the district.
Confirming reports that Zambezi district had been in a power blackout for three weeks, chief Ndungu said people were not happy. He said he was briefed about a breakdown of the diesel-power generator and assured that the district was supposed to get a new generator but nothing had happed.
"It's critical because without electricity, life comes to a standstill. I am told in the past three days, they (Zesco) have started rationing electricity; I am told they have worked on the generator, but people are not happy," he said.
"People are fed up to the point of even wanting to demonstrate at the district commissioner's office."
Chief Ndungu also feared this year's floods might be worse than last year's.
"At the moment, (flood) waters have reached near the palace," he said.
Zambezi district commissioner Bissalomo Luwaile said only one generator was running, catering for sensitive institutions like the hospital and water plant, which were having steady supply of electricity.
Luwaile also said Zesco was rationing power to the residents.
He said he had a meeting with residents last Saturday where they resolved to wait for new machines to arrive from Dar-es-Salaam.
Luwaile said the machine that broke down had been worked on and was being expected in Zambezi by today.
Concerned Zambezi residents yesterday complained that due to lack of power, people were forced to go to the crocodile infested Zambezi River to draw water.
"Already, two people have been caught by crocodiles," complained one of the residents who preferred anonymity.
"People even wanted to demonstrate at the DC's office but he stopped them assuring them that Zesco had bought generators which were in Dar-es-Salaam. Imagine three weeks without power and the area member of parliament has done nothing," complained the resident.
"Imagine if someone dies today, you have to bury today because the mortuary is not working. I even wonder how nurses are taking care of patients especially at night," complained the source.
The residents said people in the area had been faithful voters of the MMD but were now disappointed that they could be treated in such a manner.
"People are annoyed with the MMD. The MMD should pull up their socks. They can't treat people this way," said the source.
Labels: CHIEF NDUNGU, FLOODS, POWER OUTAGES, ZAMBEZI
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By Jonathan Mukuka in Nakonde
Mon 25 Jan. 2010, 04:01 CAT
NAKONDE district in Northern Province has had no power for four days following a serious electrical fault at the Zesco sub station. Nakonde district commissioner Edwin Sinyinza confirmed the development in an interview with the Zambia News and Information Services (ZANIS) in Nakonde yesterday.
Sinyinza said the fault at the Zesco substation, which has entered day four today has greatly affected the supply of water in the entire district.
A snap survey carried by ZANIS revealed that people were now depending on shallow wells and scoops along the riverbanks for the supply of water.
Labels: FUEL, NORTHERN PROVINCE, POWER OUTAGES, ZESCO
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ESCOM boss fired
By Nyasa Times
Published: November 26, 2009
Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi (Escom), Chief Executive Officer, Peterson Zembani has been fired, Nyasa Times has learnt. A well placed source told Nyasa Times that Zembani received his letter of dismissal on Wednesday.
Escom board chairperson, Davis Katsonga, confirmed Zembani’s sacking saying the body need “new ideas to steer the institution out of its persistent problems.”
Zembani has received the boot after last week Malawi experiences the nationwide blackout as President Bingu wa Mutharika’s government faces continuing accusations of economic and infrastructure neglect of the country of 13 million inhabitants and growing urban centres.
Malawi has been experiencing frequent abrupt power outages which in some cases have forced surgeons at hospitals to turn patients away from their scheduled surgical operations until the country’s sole electricity utility company stabilises supply of power.
Escom has since raised its tariffs by 36 percent after revelations by the power utility is “technically bankrupt” with an overdraft of K1 billion.
On the other hand, Escom through instructions of Zembani donated K365, 00 n towards celebrations of President Bingu wa Mutharika’s tribal heritage group, the Mulhakho wa Alhomwe
Government wants Escom to repay its bank overdraft of K1billion by increasing the tariffs so that customers should bail it out.
Consumer Association of Malawi Executive (CAMA) Director, John Kapito had called on Mutharika to fire en masse Escom)managers after a revelation that a whooping amount of K113 million was spent on a party and towards board expenses in the just ended fiscal year.
Kapito said he does not understand how Escom would spend such huge amount of money on an end-of-year party and towards board expenses when Escom is failing to provide adequate and uninterrupted electricity to the people of Malawi.
Labels: DAVIS KATSONGA, ENERGY, ESCOM, PETERSON ZEMBANI, POWER OUTAGES
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