Government has called for strong stakeholder collaboration in addressing the current energy crisis that has affected the country.
Minister of Energy Peter Kapala has observed that through strengthened partnerships, the country will be able to come up with sustainable short, medium and long term measures that will mitigate the impact of the crisis on the economy.
Mr Kapala, explains that the government is already devising various mechanisms to create an enabling environment that will allow more players in the energy sector.
ZANIS reports that the Minister was speaking in Lusaka today, at the Energy Crisis Indaba that has attracted different stakeholders ranging from energy producers, cooperating partners, regulatory bodies, financial institutions, consumers and Civil Society Organisations among others.
Mr Kapala said there is a need for collaboration in exploring innovative and workable solutions to the ongoing energy challenges that have been caused by prolonged drought conditions which were experienced during the 2023-2024 rainy season.
He added that with 85 percent dependency on hydro generated energy, the country has recorded the worst energy crisis that has affected most of its productivity sectors.
“The decline in the rainfall pattern greatly affected the Zambezi and River Basins which are the main water catchments for hydropower generation. This has an effect on the energy sector in Zambia considering that the country heavily relies on hydropower generation which constitutes 85% of our energy mix” he stated.
Mr Kapala has however, assured the nation that the government has already started implementing stringent measures to mitigate the impact of the crisis on the general citizenry.
He cited the, ZESCO’s power importation of 188Mega watts (MW) to supply to households and commercial customers, the scraping back of 160MW of power from the export contracts and the restating of the 105 MW by Ndola Energy Power Company as some of the immediate measures being implemented by the government.
And ZESCO Managing Director, Victor Mapani has called for the need for more players to invest in the energy sector, noting that increased investment in various sources of energy by many producers will help the country address the energy crisis currently being faced.
Mr Mapani further assured that ZESCO is ready to buy any power that will be produced by independent producers, as it will significantly contribute to the increased demand for energy in the country.
Meanwhile, the Energy Regulation Board Chairperson, James Banda, has announced that the regulator has instituted a robust mechanism to facilitate approval of Power Purchase Agreements within 48 hours as opposed to 90 days.
Mr Banda said this is being done in order to ease the cost of doing business in the sector, adding that the ongoing power shortages in the country have presented an opportunity to identify lasting solutions that will go beyond the current power deficit situation.
Meanwhile, Copperbelt Energy Company (CEC) Chief Executive Officer Owen Silavwe, has pledged the company’s continued support to the government by investing in renewable energy.
Mr Silvwe explained that the company has so far invested in 94 MW solar energy and plans are underway to start the construction of an additional 130 MW to be commissioned by the end of next year.
And Disaster Management and Mitigation Unit, (DMMU) Gabriel Pollen, advised institutions to always invest more resources into preparedness to avoid the adverse effects of such disasters.
Dr Pollen added that DMMU will work with other stakeholders in ensuring that the effects of the drought are mitigated especially on citizens.
