LUSAKA, May 24 (Xinhua) — Zambia has extended its planned blackout hours to better balance power supply and demand, a government official said on Friday.
Minister of Energy Peter Kapala said that the national utility, Zesco, has increased the hours of “load shedding” from eight to 12 hours, staggered in six-hour periods each day, to ensure that power supply is available until the end of the year.
“The Ministry of Energy, through Zesco Limited, has critically reviewed the ongoing load management measures based on various power system performance variables and, most importantly, the feedback received from all our customer segments and the citizenry at large,” Kapala said in a statement.
He explained that the country’s power generation, which is 85 percent dependent on hydro, has been severely impacted by drought, resulting in significantly lower water levels at all hydropower plants.
One of the main power plants, Kariba hydropower station, has experienced reduced water inflows and is currently producing only 166 megawatts of electricity from its total installed capacity of 1,080 megawatts. This situation is mirrored in other plants across the country.
However, the national power utility has increased its power imports to mitigate the deficit and support industries during emergency periods, with current imports standing at 188 megawatts. Additionally, Zesco has reclaimed power from export contracts, amounting to a total of 160 megawatts.
Kapala said that large power users, such as mines, have taken steps to support the load management measures, with some mining firms opting to import their own power. This initiative is expected to significantly ease pressure on the national grid.
The power utility introduced rotational daily load shedding on March 11, 2024, due to a deficit caused by reduced water levels following poor rainfall.
