100MW of solar power is expected to come online in December this year, among a raft of short-term measures to arrest the current energy crisis choking the country. The government will also erect 120MW of diesel generators in Ndola and Mpika, Minister of Energy Peter Kapala said today in his update on the electricity situation.
Kapala reiterated some measures already in the works or previously announced, including imports and clawing back exports, which now stand at 188MW and 160MW respectively.
Kapala announced that ZESCO is developing the 100MW solar power plant in Chisamba and will complete it in December.

Further, 105MW from private generator Ndola Energy Company is expected to start flowing by July, he said. Ndola Energy is a thermal power plant that sourced its heavy-fuel oil from Indeni Petroleum Refinery and ceased production when Indeni was repurposed more than two years ago.
Also in the short term, the just-approved open access and net metering regulations are expected to enable industries and households to generate and supply electricity to the national grid. In the process, they will earn an income while alleviating pressure off the grid.

“ZESCO has been directed to speed up and bring on board all independent power producers with a lucrative tariff during this crisis period,” said Kapala.
The medium-term measures cover the expansion of renewable energy, particularly implementing the 120MW portfolio of small solar projects under the GET FiT program that was shelved before the current administration took office.
Kapala stated that the financial close for phase 2 of the Maamba coal plant is expected to be reached by June 30, with construction commencing this same year. This will bring online 300MW of thermal generation and provide the much-needed generation mix diversity.

Another 271MW of hydropower will be brought on by developing a site on the Luapula River north of the country where rainfall is relatively better than in the south where Zambia’s generating sites are traditionally situated.
The minister also highlighted some strategic programs and long-term projects, including the completion of the country’s first-ever Integrated Resource Plan (IRP), which aims to provide sustainable electricity sector solutions.
Leading from the IRP, the government intends to bring on 6,505MW in additional generation capacity by 2026, which will cost US$5 billion to achieve.
Zambia’s current biting power crisis has resulted from its unhealthy dependence on hydropower. More than 80% of the country’s generation is hydro-based. A drought has decimated the country’s generating capacity to 900MW against demand of 2,400MW. Zambia continues to grapple with a huge power generation deficit, currently stated at 750MW.