Friday, March 29, 2024

Zesco explains why 3 provinces had no power

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ZESCO Limited  has opened the 330 Kilovolt inter-connector between Zambia and Zimbabwe in order to protect the local power system from external disturbances.

ZESCO Senior Manager for Electro technical services Christopher Mubemba told Journalists at a media briefing in Lusaka today that the decision follows an external disturbance on the local system on 6th September resulting in the loss of power supply to Eastern, Northern and Lusaka provinces.

Mr. Mubemba said as a result of the disturbance two machines at Kariba North Bank power station tripped resulting in a loss of 360 mega watts.

He explained that the disturbance also resulted in the loss of transmission lines and distribution loads in Northern, Eastern and some parts of Lusaka and Southern provinces.

He noted that the opening of the inter-connectors entails that Zambia will now be required to carry the full power reserves to avoid national power blackouts.

Mr. Mubemba added that when interconnected ,the country’s  required reserve is half as the remaining half comes from Southern African Power Pool (SAPP)  region .

Mr. Mubemba however disclosed that the opening of the interconnectors also entails that there will be more load shedding in the country as a region as a whole has a power deficit particularly during peak demands.

The 330 KV interconnectors were opened yesterday and ZESCO will continue to monitor the situation so that the interconnectors are closed as soon as the situation improves.

62 COMMENTS

  1. Mwebantu kanshi chabashani hee? Zambia used to be a power jaint for electricity. Abut everything has cramble. Does it mean no good leadership in zambia? can we please find a lasting solution for this problems by choosing credible leaders. Ladies and gentlemen lets go and vote in numbers and choose a leader not a boss or some quacks.

  2. I aggree with #1,we need a good leader will look into this problem, its just too much mwebantu,ba Sisala nabafilwa,we load shed our country and yet we still export,does that make sense?something has to be done honestly

  3. When is zesco going to rectify this problem,can you stop lying and sort out the mess, what about this interconector, my parent’s in SHANG’OMBO doesnt know anything about your silly explaination. just stop the mess please and don’t over charge, because loading shedding is everyday and now power failure for three days.don’t charge anyone in these 3 provinces for 3 days.

  4. #1: its becaause of th simple reason that there is increased demand for power. you should look at how Lusaka is expanding. its jus like in everything: congestion on roads caused by alot of motor vehicles. the planners planned maybe for 1000 cars and now we have millions with the same infrastructure. So is the problem with power. mashrooming of compounds and the increase in the number of mines. Kansanshi, Lumwana, KCM, Lwanshya, albidon, etc. this should not be an excuse though for ZESCO (lest some of you think i work for zesco). i am equally affected by the load shedding. there is need to have a a corresponding increase in the power generated. it all goes back to planning.

  5. If i was sisala i can jst resign . cuz it will be embarrassing to be fired. the guy can see that his relative is nomore! Sisala the person who gave u tht job and who support has gone. so jst do urself a favour. jst walk away. That is why pipo at zesco celebrated whn the news of president mwanawasa came in. not cuz they were happy that he died cuz atleast they knw u will soon be fired. wait and see. ur tym is near. results of nepotism.

  6. I symphasize with ZESCO. However diconnecting from the Inter Connector is no solution at all. Remember we did so and later after some months we re-connected and went at great length to outline the disadvantages we faced as a Nation by not been connected. Am surprised that hardly a few months later we have disconnected. Why not put in place measures that ensure that when there is a problem across the borders a “switch” triples before the whole Zambian line is affected.

  7. Politics,even professionals are compromised .They dont want to tell the truth according to their code of conduct

  8. The reason why we keep having blackouts is because of incompetate people like Rodney Sisala. I think who ever fired Robby Mwansa is now regretting…

    Shame!

  9. LMAO… now where are the guys who were telling us yesterday that we should come to Zambia and its great and the blah blah blah, im reading about power cuts and riding inflation again. The power Grid was established when the country only had so many people consuming electricity. Power problems is because tongas were displaced without compenstaion when kariba Damn was built, now look at whats happening you need a Tonga leader to fix this …. Tonga Bulls Stand UP

  10. Chi Scissors when is it going to be fired! Now that his relative is no more can someone pls do us a favour and get ridde of ICHISHISHI!

  11. #13 There you go again being tribal – KANSHI IMWE MWE BA TONGA MWABA SHANI CHAMUMULOPA. Even where it is not necessary to be tribal you do it, no wonder no Tonga has ever ruled and never will rule this country! SHAME!

  12. shame i say! Mwansa was GM for ZESCO for over 8 years under FTJ but none of these never happened. We even had street lights in Kabwata under the 3rd term. Shame i say!!!!!

  13. we have uranium and its high time we thought of nuclear power. This is the reason why there are no power cutS in most European countries. They dont rely on hydro-electricity alone. Besides, we have coal which can be used to generate electricity. All we lack is brain power to move forward. Most European countries dont have the resources Zambia is endowed with but use their brains to create wealth. Come on wake up ZAMBIANS. Put right persons in right and critical positions if the country is to move forward.

  14. that was their campaign strategy and slogan in 2006 ,to rectify ZESCO complications, As you can see am sure thats the best they can do per say coz i dont think it can take the whole corporation seven years to work on the problem ah ha ha ha………public relations is doing fine coz they even aford to imform us of the reason for the failure

  15. Its true this issue of load shedding has now become too much. Sometimes you can even go for 5 days with power and yet the bills are the same. They don’t even deduct for the days you didn’t have power. Seriously, Sisala has failed to manage the affairs of zesco and the country at large. He should just resign and let another person try.

  16. Kamuzi that was just a history lesson, my opinions are not tribal but factual, now to the gentleman seeking Uranium enrichmnet and harnessing safe nuclear power, what will you do when the bemba crooks sell the stuff to Islamist militants and your beloved pa-zed is on the US Terror watch… nuclear is not a solution, solution is get the hard working tongas to fix your problems. Tonga Bulls Stand Up!

  17. # 6. Naukwata point. It all goes back to planning. In one discussion just after the nationwide blackouts, Sisala mentioned that the power deficit had been predicted as early as 2001. But the question is what was done to ensure that the country had enough power. What these people dont realise is that energy is a driving force for the growth of the economy. And govt as the central planning authority for the economy did nothing. We need to move from a point of being reactive to being proactive if we are to develop as a country.

  18. Its time we should expand the power plants in Zambia looking at the demands which have come up due due to developmental projets in the country. The problem with our leaders is that they know the problem but keep on giving explanations,we need power and not loadshadding. Just build more power plants full stop!!!

  19. Family Tree Sisala of the CEC fame has failed. Only interested in profiting from ZESCO and the nation through his CEC. It is sickening. Bwezani has a lot of work at hand. Apart from firing Magande, Kunda, and others, his long arm should be extended to thieving parastatal chiefs as the ZESCO chief. The BOZ Chief needs his TOR redefined. He has become foreign companies’ own choir boy taking pride in announcing copper production, prices, a mouth piece of international capital and exploitation. The real big boys in other countries influence and determine issues such as interest rates, exchange rates, and so on.

  20. The equipment is old and obsolate. Its high time we updated our equipment. Why is that we are always behind in everything? Everything is old, our stadium is old, oil refinery is old, power generator is old, now you want us to elect an old president. Why???? pleeease!!!!! Zambians. That plant was built when the population of Zambia was just 3 million people and so we need modern equipment.

  21. Let us break up ZESCO into three separate entities:
    1. Kariba Energy responsible for Generation and development of more generation capacity.
    2. ZamGrid responsible for the development and extension of the national grid.
    3. Zesco responsible for distribution and supply.

  22. 1st ba chengelo alumnui,mind wat u say,grow up.uv said alot of rubish..2nd,sisala is a branch of th family tree,as he said they foresaw ths in 2001,and thats th tym he was cumin n2 ofice,gues wat he did,he go major loans frm zesco,bot alot of flats,C/belt pipo corect me if im wrng,bt info has it that he actualy owns flats almst the entire stret in sum case.today zesco employes evn mgrs are no lnger hapi..thy fird mwansa 4 no reason.nw we c,he cnt plan,js busy enrichng hmself

  23. #30 Insight- freedom of speech, im just stating facts unlike you who is worried about a whole street of flats??? what does that have to do with phaacked up infrastructure its not the bwana of Zescos fault, its the fault of the bastard at plot # 1… Tonga bulls stand Up

  24. #6. I agree with u that demand has increased. I believe that when the increased demand was taking place people who are responsible for power generation were in place. If indeed they were in place and planning what the hell were they planning for? They kept reaping from us by increasing tariffs so that they could improve the supply of electricity brought about by this growth. Alas this was not the case. The Guys instead started paying homage by giving to MMD for campaigns and sending teams (football) for holiday to the Middle East. The Man (scissors) was to content with fact that he was a relative to LPM. Knowing our president and nepotism, that was his weakness like beer is to some.

  25. Ur common sense is non existant..tht same mney he got as masive loans is wat wud hav bn part of th infrastructure investmts..u seem to b ful of tribalism-wat makes u tink bembas wil go into terorism wth uranium-quak!!fredom of spech yes,bt nt ama rubish yobe..

  26. Massive loans???? thats rubbish, if the guy is credit worthy then more power to him, and he just got appointed to oversee, the infrastructure change should have come a long time ago, leaders with foresight would have set targets for development to all sectors of public infrastructure but again on the watch of the bembas during chiluba’s tenure, it was decided to privatise, so all the copper revenue was gone down the drain, hosues sold off at a fraction of the price in order to empower people. Now tell me again that i have no common sense…. facts gentlemen, Bembas have ruined this country. Hard working Tongas will save it

  27. cont… So I don’t believe that we did not know that we had a problem and it was growing. From the time that the MD was appointed we started having these load shading. They promised us the problem was going to end by 2007. We are in 2008 and they have extended the period to match with the term for MMD. So its not that we don’t like the MD but feel that he has sat on his hands for too long, leaving him with no spare hands to work with. I feel that he needs to be fired at the soonest possible time.

  28. Mwana,wateva u do and say..sori ur open and public tribalism wil neva take u anywre..u cud hav reasnd had u info frm inside zesco..al the best wth ur tribalism
    Wth chiluba hate..ur such a fol,hop uv nticed tht wen u blogg,ur bein remindd to be objective

  29. Just stating Facts.. I challenge anyone on this BLOG to Tell me what Kafupis biggest achievment was in his 2 terms in office. Now before you answer that question please remember that Arthur Wina was the man chosen for the hour, and think had Arthur become president what kind of Zambia would you live in. Insight i respect ur opinions but stick to facts and realistic ones. Nobody has been convicted fo Graft in zambia, so bottom line is the plunderers will not stop, what is the famous bemba saying… ubomba mwi bala alya mwi bala… he who works in the field eats from teh field… Bulls Standing ovation

  30. To resolve this problem of load shedding,we need to look into these issues:
    1.tarrifs needs to be revised to extents of recovery of cost of operations,
    2.more investments (money) needs to be pumped in the generation sector and possible encouragement of several investors in it,
    3.other alternative sources of energy needs urgent exploration,eg coal,uranium,solar etc,
    4.a complete ban on all aged appliances that use more of supply and complete shift to energ saving appliances,
    5.encourage industries to operate during night times when most power is idle.

  31. Chengelo, See why we cannot develope in Zambia, its because of pipo like you. Why should it always be about tongas and bembas and lenjes, why can’t you be a Zambian like everyone. You will end up irritating a lot of pipo like me who have now changed my mind about voting for your disabled person

  32. someone in london… FYI to move foward you must know you phaaacken history, no more mistakes from the North like Kafupi…. i know u northerners know that the hour is over, its time for the Tonga bulls to stampede to state house….

  33. Chengelo, Im not a northerner for your own information, but i will jump out of my skin if anyone calls me a tonga.

  34. Hear! Hear! #45. Someone from London read your history – Luapulans and Northerners hail from the same place. The whole bunch of those small tribes around Bangweulu and the whole northern block are one and the same – thieves and liars.

  35. Sisala is a failed Engineer, that is why he was pushed to work at supply Demand,of CEC ie as a buyer of electrical products.The problem is poor planning, Top Management at ZESCO knew the required Power Estimate Demand for Lumwana and other New Mines and should have planned for that.We need to expose our Engineers to Developed countries, for them to see how our friend manage their Power Plants. The goverment should also assist in building new Thermal Power Plants in Maamba, not just demanding for higher salaries and allowances and making irrelevant disscussion in parliamnet.

  36. Seeing as you are all experts on this blogg, why don’t you eliminate Sisala, apply for his post and then you can do a better job. Yaba, no wonder my name is ‘depressed’ muni chita depress na ma comments yanu mwe

  37. People please the reason we have all these power cuts is simply because the consumption has way surpassed the supply. This problem will only be alleviated in about 3-4 years time which is how long it should take to build a hydro station or when Zambia embraces alternative sources of power. Sisala has nothing to do with it, if anything blame the economic boom..eish!

  38. number 54, this is just about being proactive and not reactive, Sisala and his top Management knew that Demand was going to increase, and so they should have put in place necessary measures, However they waited until ZESCO started having these Power Deficit problems.

  39. Bills are abnormal because sisala, magande,membe and others with draw large sums of monies to buy share in zambian airways from the coffers.

  40. i think the government needs to ask the big mining companies to get involved more and use some of their massive profits and resources towards setting up reliable energy generating plants such as coal which is fairly cheap…

  41. there has been no power in woodlands,Bedrock area since Tue,Zesco was notified but nothing has been done,what service are we paying for….I need ask? its not the entire neighbourhood its a fraction of about a hunred houses maybe if they cant sort this one out it means its safe to say we have no service provider why not get Eskom coming this way instead…they need competition to get them working hard what you think ?

  42. Dear Zambians I Have come no that very few comments is wealth 95% are useless.Please try to bring which is wealth be serious.Just a Comments will tell the type of a person is.it is not just a matter
    of writting shame.I dont work ku I Zesco but comment advise to Zesco will come later.

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