By Norman Muvavarirwa
Load shedding is expected to increase in Zambia after the Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (Zesco) takes out 165 mega watts from the national grid this Saturday, the utility confirmed on Tuesday reports the Zambian Post.
Speaking in an interview in the capital Lusaka , Zesco spokesperson Yammie Zimba said that Kafue Gorge Power Station’s generator number five, which produces 165 mega watts, would be taken out for annual maintenance from October 26 to November 5.
“We will definitely expect increased load shedding because we are already experiencing a shortfall to meet the country’s demand,” Zimba said.
She said the corporation was trying to secure power from neighbouring countries to mitigate the impact.
Zimba also asked customers to cut back on power consumption to help mitigate the impact of load shedding.
“Our customers need to help reduce the impact of load shedding by switching off all they are not using, especially during the evening peak demand period between 18:00hrs and 22:00hrs,” said Zimba.
Zambia generates about 1,557 mega watts against the demand of about 1,850 mega watts, a Zesco official at Kariba confirmed last month.
And Zesco has shut down two of three power generators at Victoria Falls power station for routine annual maintenance.
“Only station B is in operation and would be shut down for its annual maintenance in November,” Zambian Post quoted a Zesco source.
“We have shut down A and C stations. Station A was commissioned in 1936. It has an installed capacity of 8 MW consisting of 2 machines of 1MW each and another 2 of 3MW each and C commissioned in 1968 and has an installed capacity of 40MW consisting of 4 machines of 10MW each,” the source said.
Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (ZESCO) is a state-owned power company in Zambia. It is Zambia’s largest power company producing about 80% of the electricity consumed in the country.
The company owns 7 hydropower stations with a combined capacity of 1,752 MW and one thermal power plants of 8 MW resulting a total installed capacity of 1,760 MW for ZESCO.
The company also has power distribution and transmission lines of 9,975 km.
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