ZAMBIA is going to record an energy surplus by the end of next year once stakeholders participated effectively in efforts aimed at boosting power production.
Zesco, senior manager, in charge of generation, Ernest Banda said in Lusaka that Zambia is likely to record an energy surplus by the end of next year, as long as investors in energy, the public and all stakeholders participated effectively.
Mr Banda said this during a presentation at a stakeholders’ consultative meeting on the promotion of renewable energy hosted by the Ministry of Energy and Water Development and Tomorrow Investments.
“Going forward, in the long term, hydro power will increase with the successive completion of the power agreements and when all the energy projects go online. Zambia will exceed the demand of 1,900 mega watts and have surplus power by the end of 2016,” he said.
Mr Banda said the current demand for power is 1,750 mega watts and during peak hours, the demand was at 1,940.
The power that was available currently was 1,230 mega watts.
In order to mitigate these problems, Zesco with the support of Government has made interventions like importing power and managing the load using power cuts as well as embarking and supporting power projects.
Mr Banda said Zesco had also embarked on the third phase of distribution of compact fluorescent lamps and would soon be lobbying for the banning of importation of incandescent bulbs in the country.
Energy Minister Dora Siliya said there was need for investment alternative energy by the private sector in order to mitigate the energy deficit.
Ms Siliya said the private sector should be vibrant enough to come up with initiatives that would help the country.
She said the onus was especially for youths to invest in the energy sector.
“There are a lot of opportunities in the sector for the private sector especially the youth. Do not wait for Government to come up with measures to get you together. You should come together yourselves and tell Government what you want us to do for you,” she said.
She said each citizen had a role to play in energy saving by choosing to use energy saving bulbs and opting to use solar powered equipment.
Ms Siliya said she was holding discussions with her Commerce, Trade and Industry counterpart Margaret Mwanakatwe on coming up with measures to exempt certain solar powered goods from tax in order to encourage the public to use solar powered household goods.
The best is to ask President Lungu to resign voluntarily. The drunkard has failed lamentably.
“the onus is on the youth” – what? I am all for empowerment and individual responsibility but how can we say the “onus” is on the youth to solve our power shortage problems??
This is the joke of the day, Zambia to have power surplus under this ZESCO way of doing things? How do youths come in when majority of them have not be empowered education wise and others are being put through difficulty times of writing exams at night. Kaingu’s only plan for the youths is to increase fees for tertiary education so a lot more can not access higher education. Really all these do not point to more energy in the country but a bigger deficient. The 2016 budget is not even the solution as it has lost over 50% of its buying power before being implemented thanks to the inflationary pressure.
Energy Surplus with low water levels!!!!! Have you been lying about the current situation
They are currently trying to invade Luapula province and see if they can do what could have been done 30 years ago. Leaders and myopia define African management styles…
Kuboko I agree with you,if it was low water level that characterized the low power generation why wouldnt things normalise by january when emimana are full.These guys have been lying
She said she was in discussions to except certain solar goods from tax.
This is what we have been saying, this should have been done ages ago. This PF government is hopeless, full of theives. If the population was sanitizer on solar power, and exempt products from taxes, we would not be in this situation. All they think of is stealing.
Invest also in northen and luapula provinces.It rains a lot coz the places are near equitorial forests.Why investing in a province wher it doesn’t rain?
If you have had enough of Lord Shedding ,
try having enough of Lord Jesus.
There is no darkness in Him.
You mean in 2064 OR when we have Rains???? What nosense is that?
It is important to realize that wealth is in the natural resource: water, and not in copper. Apparently, this resource can only be attained in Northern and Luapula Provinces of Zambia. PF will do well to use this resource for energy and farming. The issue of Barotse Agreement and worshipping of “copper” Chiefs will be no more.
Zambian projections are the proverbial boy who cried wolf and the sheep died laughing… We can only believe it when we finally see it. We are tired of promises based only on garnering votes in the next election.