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Zambia has huge potential for electricity generation – RB

By editor
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gridPresident Rupiah Banda has says Zambia still has a lot of potential for generating enough electricity from various natural resources.

Mr. Banda said the country can produce more electricity than it is currently generating from natural resources such as coal, water and solar among others.

He said this when a Chinese delegation of investors State Grid Corporation of China (SGCC) and Zhonghui Mining Industry Zambia Limited paid a courtesy call on him at state house this evening.

He said SGCC’s intention to invest in electricity generation was welcome because the country and the Southern African region were currently experiencing a serious deficit of electricity.

Mr. Banda also observed that the intended investment by one of the world’s biggest electricity generation company is a positive indicator of Zambia’s investment environment.

He said the visit and intentions shown by State Grid Corporation of China are also a positive indication at a time when other investors, especially in the mining sector are pulling out.

Speaking earlier, Commerce, Trade and Industry Minister Felix Mutati, advised the Chinese investor to take advantage of the low metal prices prevailing on the market to invest in the country.

Mr. Mutati said government was ready to provide tax regimes and other framework of incentives especially in value additional products.

And speaking at the same occasion, State Grid Corporation of China Chief Economist Du Zhigang commended government for providing a friendly investment environment, which he said has continued to attract investors.

Mr. Zhigang said his company will visit some parts of the country for possible investment in the energy sector.

ZANIS/CM/KSH/ENDS

editor
editorhttp://www.lusakatimes.com

79 COMMENTS

    • I wonder what you wrote Chewe!

      Back to the topic at hand!
      Our President is very much correct on this issue. This has been my outcry at LT, that RB deals with issues that will put Zambia back on the right track. His speech is not only directed to the Chinese investors but to the whole world. This is what the zambian economy needs. A push, a push , a push! Also like the fact that tax regimes and other framework of incentives will be provided. Mr President please continue with this spirit and you will have my vote in 2011!

    • Chewe, I have been advising you that you must give up your insulting behaviour. What did you write that prompted LT to delete your comment?

      Please, Chewe, be serious about your change in this life as you are not safe in trying to cheat people that you have reformed while you continue with the old demon possession behaviour. Have a blessed day.

    • Stop jumping to conclusions.

      Chewe just wrote number 1 that is all. I was here when he wrote the comment.

      I think you owe Chewe an apology.

    • Which conclusion have I made. Just read further and notice that you are the one who needs to read carefully before attempting to show that I am in the wrong. By the way what does “number 1” contribute to the LT blogger. Isn’t it a waste of resources?
      Check my message to you as a go well one in one of your postings.

  2. This is very true. We can generate a lot of electricity from Solar, Coal and Hydro just to name a few. It is also true that there is a power deficit in Southern Africa. ESKOM is failing to power South Africa, this also means that soon, South Africa’s neighbors may suffer. We need to take advantage of this situation and export electricity to countries that will suffer at SA’s expense.

    We also need to take electricity to the rural areas. This is where solar can play a good role and this can lead to various development projects like internet cafe’s, night school for uneducated parents/older people and the use of two plate cookers which will save our forests.

    • Go well and if your ever fail to make it without commenting, please feel free to come full time again – following a nice example of the prodigal son in the Holy Bible – for you are always welcome home. I hope the remaining bloggers will keep LT clean and continue setting the standards high for our great Nation’s sake.

      2011 elections must be free from the tribalism that has been exhibited on here by a lot of Bemba people. The clean up I started will continue and you are welcome to help me in this area.

      I will also appreciate it if you will continue educating the Zambian masses about what our country needs and how it needs to do things from the leadership’s point of view.

      Be…

    • Thanks for the encouraging statements Maestro but I am not yet gone. Maybe you would have reserved the statement for Saturday but otherwise I appreciate.

      I may be back. We’ll see what happens.

    • #2.1 Maestro; Please delete the words “Bemba people “in your comment above and replace with the word “bloggers”. No one can tell who is a Bemba on this blog. Any one can pretend what they like in their submission and say things under false pretenses.

    • Ba-NKOLE, thank you for your concern. Unfortunately, I think ” … by a lot of Bemba people” covers all bloggers who use Bemba as their Language. For this reason, I can not delete the submission as it is very alright.
      All I can advise you is that please tell the Bemba and non-Bemba by tribe but speaking or writing Bemba people to stop using using Bemba Language in their tribal statements let alone insults . This will help to save the true Bemba people of Zambia from the current status which is being forced on them by irresponsible bloggers on LT for their behavviour is bad. Also, see if you can advise Chewe to desist from using the Bisa Undereducate MC Sata as encompassing all Bemba…

  3. In UK electricity is going to be reduced by 8%(Sky News) while here Zesco wants to increase by 64%. What a contrast- those who have will have more added…

    • Just to put things in perspective to help you with your analysis. What will be the price in UK afrer 8% reduction, and what will be the price in Zambia after 64% increase? Maybe when you answer these questions, you will be encouraged to do a little bit more research and share with other bloggers?

    • A reduction is a reduction. For me I pay an av. of K180,000 / month so add 64% the increase will go to K295,200. That will cut through my mealie meal budget( we consume 2 x 25kg/month.) So its not what they pay there what matters but the fact that there is going to some kind of relief. May our bloggers out there can assist.

    • #3.1 DEJA VU….I totally agree with u… Everything is there for everyone to see.The fact is that the quality of the life of average Zambian is diminishing further and further. Whilst other countries are reducing rates to cushion the crisis, Zambia is doing the direct opposite. Examples are Bank rates and electricity tarrifs.I believe this is just a way of compensating for the income the govt made from the closed mines.Our govt simply does not care for its citizens.By the way is loadshedding still going on in Zambia?

    • when you look at an average income in zambia, the increase is ridiculus, people can bearly afford to eat balanced meals and pay rent.this means back to malasha times in kk time

    • The fridge and freezer are the only household electricity items that one cannot control, the rest you can switch off. Only boil enough water in a kettle. Cook everything simutaneously and only rewarm what you will eat. I have often been amazed when I visit well-off-Zambians how they would be chatting to you and the TV set is on in the background showing a programme no one is interested in and the music is a wall paper! Lights are on in rooms where there is no one. I visited a house in Chipata where the outside ‘security’ lights were on at 14:00 in blazing tropical sun! If people were sensible, they could cut their electric bills by half.

  6. Yes we have the potential,but we don’t want to use the natural resources that God has given us as a nation.It really pains me each time I hear about the perpetual load shedding that my pipo back home are experiencing when we have enough water to generated electricity.Countries like South Africa do not have the natural resources like Zambia,but they are able to deliver electricity services to their pipo everyday through the use of coal with iam sure should be very expensive for them.We (Zambia) have everything but yaba kwati balitutipwila zo-ona.Instead of Zesco use the money to improve their services,the money goes for campaigns.Shame on us Zedians.

    Goodmorning everyone.Matworld

    • Matworld how are you?

      On the contrary, South Africa is also experiencing power problems and load shedding.

      ESKOM is failing to power its people. You live in SA so maybe you know more than I do but from what I read in the media, SA is also having power problems.

    • Iam great mudala how about you how are you?

      You are right big man but not like what is happening to Zambia.Eskom is facing power problems but they are trying by all possible needs to satisfy their customers.Here in Pietermarizburg I cant even remember when we had no power,I don’t know about other places in SA.

    • CHEWE

      How are you? Yes this is y final week contributing on LT. I will be just coming to read the stories and reading some of the comments if I have time otherwise I will not be contributing anymore starting next week. Thanks for the concern though.

    • Chewe

      Excuse my honesty but I feel there is nothing I have gained from making comments right here. Many of the comments I read here are filled with hate, jealousy, prejudice and sometimes tribalism.

      I feel this place has lost its flare from the time I started blogging as Crazy_Zambian so I feel just reading the news is enough.

    • Ba Free,
      Chabiipa! But again its like you are giving up? You would be surprised that maybe 1 or 2 people read your comments and learnt something. I used to free like that too but LT is not for individuals but every one other wise it would be a personal blog or site. I challenge you further to do this not for haters but for a young person learning from your views and staying away is not the way.

    • CHEWE

      Don’t get me wrong, what LT is doing (informing the masses for free) is great and the great thing about LT is that there is the comment section where people can post their opinions.

      I have seen many bloggers stop blogging. I have not seen Pragmatist, Mwiinga and Fine! just to name a few in a while. It is not that I supported nor opposed their views, it is just that I was learning from them as I was conversing with them whether I was opposing/supporting their opinions. I thought maybe it is time for me to go.

      OK, I will do this, let me get my head together. I will be back later on LT…let me see what LT will become in the time to come.

    • mY brother/sister, that really pains me. Zambia has plenty of coal but trees are cut down for charcoal. Why cant the govt speared the usage of coal to avoid wasting away our natural environment. Coal is even better than charcoal in many ways. There is plenty of sun in Zambia. Do we need a chinaman to come and tell us that? Solar can be used for street lighting heating in homes and villagers can take advantage of it. If zesco meant well they would have long diversified into solar and other forms of energy. Alas, zesco’s profits are quickly r@ped by politicians.

    • If you cared to research, you would find out that solar and other renewable options are actually much more expensive forms of energy to develop than the path that zesco is pursuing. In Europe or even RSA wind energy requires massive subsidies. Also do not think that only zesco should meet our needs for electricity. The market was liberalised years ago in the 90s and everyday the government is calling for private investors like you and me to develop these resources. These are all business opprtunites for you and me. But so far private investors have not come forward to complement zesco mainly because the sector does not offer good returns on investment like mobile phones for example.

    • But coal is one of the natural resources isn’t it? Every country has its own endowments and RSA is endowed with massive amounts of coal.

    • OK, Later Matworld. Have a good class and go to the library if you can after class. A ka mupaundo goes a long way.

  8. IS IT TODAY YOU ARE KNOWING. MY 11 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER NEW IT A LONG TIME AGO. SHE EVEN KNOWS AFRICA CAN LEAD IN SOLAR ENERGY. IF YOU NEED SOME FREE LESSONS SHE’S AT HER DISPOSAL.

    • # 8 did you just wake up? Nwako tea first chilumendo olo saambako mukanwa! Ama spelling yafulisha mwe.
      My dota NEW?
      she is at HER DISPOSAL?

    • Good morning Peter! RB targeted his message at people who don’t know, like some of those chinese ‘investors’, and not at people who know, like yourself or your 11 year old daughter.

  9. I am in a hurry going for an electronics lab session. As you said, in fact I am tucking up. But don’t worry about the spelling as long as it has driven a point home. But, thnx 4 ur observation.

  10. 6 Humbled Matworld, power supply in zambia has also improved tremendously during the past few months. This is attributed to several factors including that there are people working quietly but seriously away from the blog to solve these problems for us. Can Humbled Matworld please tell us the truth about the electricity situation in RSA? For example the impending 100% hike in tariffs following at least three hefty hikes during the past 12 months alone. The point is not that Southern Africa is short of resources, but how to get those who possess the massive capital required to invest in the sector. RSA is no exception, what I have just told you is one of the steps our brothers have taken

  11. Due to the global climate change and environmental effects, electricity generation from coal is slowly being done away with worldover…We already have a carbon neutral source, that is hydropower and we have plenty more potential to develop more hydro. Let the Ministry of environment advise government not to encourage investment in this carbon intensive source of power as the world fights climate change

  12. I hate it when these politicians say zambia has potential. For how long are we going to say we have potential and not do anything about it .Ma rubbish!!!

    • So what else can politicians do? That is their job; to politicise. It is up to you and me and all others to act upon the policy. KK was laughed at when in his time he asked someone to research biofuel. Remember the ‘diesel from grass’ stories! The man has always lived beyond his generation. Now his fight against HIV/AIDS in Zambia is about to show progress. A good politician shows the way and areas of interest. It is up to people to follow or laugh and ridicule!

  13. On “Mr. Banda said the country can produce more electricity than it is currently generating from natural resources such as coal, water and solar among others”, I would like to include wind also.

    As regards solar power generation the Physics Department at UNZA is doing a lot in this area. All they need is full support from the GRZ to to able to extend their currently limited capacity to many parts of the Nation..

    • It should be the school of electrical engineering not physics. we already know the physics. we need to put it into practice now not next decade.

    • I do understand your point baba, but I am giving you the facts on the ground. If you doubt what I have written please consult UNZA or any other source.

      Be advised that the UNZA Physics Department offers a Master of Science Degree in Sustainable Energy Engineering in partnership with KTH (Royal Institute of Technology) of Sweden!

      However, the School of Engineering through the Electrical and Mechanical Engineering Departments at UNZA were supposed to be the ones doing the two mentioned activities if they were serious. Interesting enough, it is the Physicists at UNZA who are doing a great job for Zambia.

      By the way, Physics Dept. has about 15 staff while Elect. one has about 4…

    • … about 4 full-time staff. The Mechanical Dept. has a lot more than the Elect. Dept., but I think it still has lower numbers than the Physics Department.

      Please, use real true data than speculate just to try and imagebuild your or other people’s fields of study at UNZA in Zambia.

      I hope you have learnt something today. Have a blessed day.

  14. On “Mr. Banda also observed that the intended investment by one of the world’s biggest electricity generation company is a positive indicator of Zambia’s investment environment. He said the visit and intentions shown by State Grid Corporation of China are also a positive indication at a time when other investors, especially in the mining sector are pulling out.” Why is it that the so-called investors are always flocking to State House so easily? It took UPND pre. HH months to get there!

    Don’t we have a good place they can go to for help? I think, Zambia Investment Centre or whatever it is called situate along Los Angeles Blvd in Rhodes Park is a better place for them to go than…

  15. #10.Invstor

    How are you my dear? Hope all is well with you that side.I Totally agree with all you have said in your comment on #10.My comment #6 is based on how we Zambians are not using the resources that we have been blessed with.For instance we have so enough water which can be used to generate electricity through out the year without having Load sheding.This is why i gave the example of SA coz with them they need to buy coal to produce electricity efficiently and effectively when they dont have enough water to do that like Zed.Talking of hikes in tarrifs yes you are right but to tell you the truth its worth it,iam sure my fellow Zedians here will agree with me.ContD

    • It is worth it to pay high fees for the services delivered,and it is painful to pay the higher fees for the undelivered services and that is what is happening in Zambia.I don’t blame Zesco for the poor deliverly of electricity,but Iam blaming the govt for taking money from zesco which can be used to deliver good services to pipo of Zed and use the same money for campaigns.In economics we call this as Misllocation of resources,and that is where my comment on#6 is based on.

      Iam must say that iam pleased to know that the production of electricty in Zed has improved.My dear I love my country so much that I can’t denouce coz kuno calilila.

      Have a great day.

      Later…

  16. Goodmorning bloggers. I think we all know the facts stated in the lecture above but there are many questions to be anwered. I wish I had more time for this topic today but I have other matters to attend to.

    • Good morning thanks and how are you. Surely, the data by the President RB Banda is common knowledge. What we need is commitment from his GRZ to help small university groups like the Environmental and Energy Physics Group (EEPG) at UNZA to be meaningful to all Zambians by providing Solar Powered systems to all places they can manage in the country.

      If I am correct, the EEPG has installed various solar power systems in the Eastern Province of Zambia which has already been a success.
      So instead of looking up to the Chinese always, why doesn’t the President RB Banda Administration support local investments and the Universities to make money that can allow them to stop relying on the GRZ.

    • I am fine thanks Humbled Matworld and how are you. I am however pressured because I gave myself a deadline of tomorrow eveninig to finish making corrections to my Thesis and submit it to my Supervisor. Thus, I am busy working on that now and the pages to cover are still more than half compared to what I had last friday. Nevertheless, I am not giving up on tomorrow’s deadline.

      Have a blessed day.

    • Topic: “… 3-Dimensional reconstruction of the Ionosphere using HF radar data …”
      The Ionosphere is a region of space from about 60 km to 2000 km above the Earth’s surface. Satellite borne equipment, like GPS ones, and ground based radar systems send radio waves through the Ionosphere and a 3-Dimensional picture of it can be re-produced from the data that is received and recorded by the instruments mentioned above.
      I hope this satisfies your appetite for my research thesis topic.

      Have a good day and keep well.

    • Humbled Matworld I’m fine my dear brother, just extremely busy this week. Right now I’m just stealing time to be on LT. Stay well.

  18. Maestro whats your problem? I didnt insult i just said numbala 1 thats why LT deleted my comment.Dont think if you like insulting Sata everyday then its everyone who likes insulting no.

    • Do you know the defination of an insult, Chewe? Here is one definition of the word insult:
      “An insult (also called putdown) is an expression, statement or behavior that is considered degrading. Insults may be intentional or accidental.” source: en . wikipedia. org/ wiki/ Insult.
      Now that you know this, please provide proof of your claims “Dont think if you like insulting Sata everyday then its everyone who likes insulting no”? Remember that the TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE and never concealing information or cheating others around you. I thank God, the Internet is providing fast access to information to deluded individuals.
      Have a great day.

  19. Is this your waking up ba president. Zambia has enough water to generate and supply power to the entire sub-saharan region, it is estimated.

  20. Maestro i challenged you to show what you have achieved with your education,that can be compared to what Sata has achieved.But you failed,you just have documents which we all have. And knowing how to insult Sata on LT.But Sata was a governor,mp,minister,he has buildings,houses in high cost areas,vehicles, president of a very strong party and married to a doctor.And you?documents and a church leader who has no respect for elderly people.

    • Just wait and see. Have a good day and forget about the Undereducae for now. I am in a hurry to contribute towards generating electricity using space applications for Zambia and the entire surface of the Earth.

      Later, when you write sense.

    • Do you know the defination of an insult, Chewe? Here is one definition of the word insult:
      “An insult (also called putdown) is an expression, statement or behavior that is considered degrading. Insults may be intentional or accidental.” source: en . wikipedia. org/ wiki/ Insult.
      Now that you know this, please provide proof of your claims “Dont think if you like insulting Sata everyday then its everyone who likes insulting no”? Remember that the TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE and never concealing information or cheating others around you. I thank God, the Internet is providing fast access to information to deluded individuals.
      It has been great educating you, Chewe.

  23. The Magande sage is hitting the lunatic level. If Banda is the best “aNgoni” have, they may as well scumper back to KwaZulu and contend with xenophobia, we shall not miss them at all.

  26. what a bunch of boring bloggers….all of you! you have now started shooting each other now…just like your political leaders….y’all zedians are just the same…..WAKE UP !

  29. I HAVE JUST ARRIVED HOME FROM UNIVERSITY. COINCIDENTLY, WHILE ON THE BUS I SAW ON A GIANT BILL BOARD THE FOLLOWING PUBLICATION:

    “THE WAY OUT OF AN ENERGY FIX IS AN ENERGY MIX”

    THIS SENTENCE WAS PUNCTUATED WITH SYMBOLS OF DIFFERENT FORMS OF ENERGY-SOLAR, NATURAL GAS, WIND, HYDRO, ETC. THE ABOVE CAN NEVER BE FAR FROM THE TRUTH. ZAMBIA SHOULD STRICTLY FOLLOW THESE WORDS TO THE LETTERS.

  30. Zambia has the over 40% of the water resources in the SADC region and hence the potential to generate hydroelectric power to meet domestic needs and supply Malawi,Botswana,Rwanda and Burundi combined together.
    Zambia could even do away with coal,wind and solar power development if it wanted.
    The sad thing is that we lack leaders with a vision for Zambia and that is why this potential has not be realized.

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