Government says there has been an increase in power generation in the country which amounts to 269 megawatts.
This is with the sole effort to ensure that load shedding is permanently contained through governments continued tireless efforts to deliver reliable, affordable and accessible electricity for all Zambians, Minister of Energy Makozo Chikote has said.
Mr Chikote says this is being attributed to the gradual increase of water levels in major river basins, noting that the country is importing an average of 133 megawatts of electricity from the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP).
Mr Chikote highlighted that the current national installed capacity stands at 3, 777 megawatts, while the current electricity generation is 1,469 megawatts, adding that this is against the daily national electricity demand averaging 2,800 megawatts leaving a deficit of 1,600 megawatts,” he said.
“ZESCO begun to gradually reduce electricity exports from 520MW to 150MW as of February 2025. You may also wish to note that these exports are at a higher tariff than the domestic tariff and ultimately represent a financial lifeline for ZESCO limited, “he said.
He added that while this is exciting, the impact on power generation is minimal, saying that a significant impact in water reservoirs should be able to start reflecting in the next two to three months.
ZANIS reports that Mr Chikote revealed this in a Ministerial statement in Parliament today.
The Minister also added in the same statement that despite the increase in the electricity tariffs, ZESCO was unable to raise the targeted revenue of 15 million United States dollars monthly, but only managed to raise 2.4 million United States dollars in addition to the 7.6 million United States dollars raised in November and December 2024.
He said government will expedite the completion of Chisamba 100 mw solar PV in Central Province by May 2025, alongside expediting the development of Kanona 25 mw solar PV in Lusaka Province by April 2025 among other developments.
He reiterated the government’s commitment to remain accountable to the people of Zambia, adding that government is prudent in managing resources contrary to the assertions raised by the Member of Parliament for Nakonde Constituency Luka Simumba who alleged that the collection from electricity tariffs have been mismanaged.
He has since assured members of the public that government remains committed to ensuring that load shedding is permanently contained through continued tireless efforts to deliver reliable, affordable and accessible electricity for all Zambians.
