ZESCO Board Chairperson Vickson Ncube’s admission that load shedding will only be “managed, not eliminated” highlights a critical failure in our national energy strategy. The structural error of over-relying on southern river hydro stations has left the nation vulnerable to droughts and climate variability.
However, this is not the end of the road. Countries with fewer natural resources than Zambia have achieved reliable power through diversification, innovation, and political will. If ZESCO and government, truly want to end load shedding, they must adopt a multi-pronged, bold strategy.
Detailed Solutions to Eliminate Load Shedding in Zambia.
1. Diversify the Energy Mix
ZESCO’s overdependence on hydroelectric power is outdated and risky in a climate-uncertain world.
• Invest in Solar Energy: Zambia has abundant sunlight. ZESCO should partner with the private sector and local innovators to build large-scale solar farms and incentivize rooftop solar in urban areas.
• Wind Power Potential: Northern Zambia and certain plateaus have strong wind corridors that can support wind energy projects.
• Waste-to-Energy and Biogas: Encourage industrial and agricultural zones to develop waste-to-energy systems to power their operations independently and sell excess to the grid.
• Geothermal Exploration: Start assessing geothermal potential, especially in the rift valley zones.
2. Encourage Decentralized Power Generation
• Promote mini-grids and off-grid systems for rural communities, especially in areas far from the national grid.
• Allow private sector and independent power producers (IPPs) to supply power directly to consumers or to the national grid with reduced bureaucracy.
3. Reform Policy and Regulatory Frameworks
• Remove bottlenecks that delay the licensing and operationalization of independent power producers.
• Offer incentives (tax breaks, subsidies) for companies and households that install solar and other renewable technologies.
• Set a clear energy diversification policy target, e.g., 30% of electricity from renewables (non-hydro) by 2030.
4. Improve Grid Infrastructure and Management
• Invest in modern smart grid technology that can better manage supply and demand and reduce losses.
• Upgrade transmission lines to reduce technical losses and integrate new renewable sources effectively.
• Install energy storage solutions like lithium-ion batteries or pumped storage systems to store excess power from renewables for night-time use.
5. Promote Energy Efficiency
• Launch a nationwide energy efficiency program targeting households, industry, and government institutions.
• Replace old public lighting with energy-saving LED lights.
• Enforce building codes that mandate energy-efficient appliances and construction methods.
6. Tap into Regional Power Markets
• Strengthen Zambia’s position in the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) to allow better import/export balance during shortfalls or surpluses.
• Ensure financial stability so ZESCO can enter short-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) with regional suppliers during droughts.
Conclusion: Managing is Not Enough, We Must Eliminate Load Shedding
Managing load shedding is like managing a disease without curing it. It may reduce the pain but does not solve the problem. Zambia deserves better. With proper planning, investment, and political courage, ZESCO can transform itself from a reactive institution to a forward-thinking power leader in the region.
This is not just about keeping the lights on. It’s about powering businesses, hospitals, schools, and dreams. It’s time to build an energy future that works for all Zambians, not just manage our way around failure.
By Alexander Vomo
Loadshedding is a strategic planning failure and the sooner it’s completely eliminated the better – and politically prudent.
One comment though: stay away from wind power. It is totally useless. Overly complicated, intermittent production and you have to manage the draw depending on consumption and weather… If you draw too little or not enough – the damn thing will blow up. Nuclear is a way better choice.
@zm, and yet Austria with less sunny days (average of 1900 hours of sunny light per year) compared to Zambia’s sunny hours and this country uses both wind and solar extensively. Expensive, complicated as you say? Yes, extremely expensive and complicated but why can we not aspire to be self reliant. We have the funds, natural resources and even the brains. One wonders why it does not/will never work in the Christian nation of Zambia.
Something is just not adding up. What is Kafue Gorge with two power stations generating at the moment. The answe is the installed capacity for Kafue lower and upper should be able to power the country. Kariba dam is not doing well but I don’t think the Kafue lower and upper can be affected with the good rains we had they should be operating better than the last year.