Energy Minister Announces 3 hours of Stable Power Supply

Minister of Energy has announced that the country will have at least 3 hours of stable power supply per day for retail customers as of October, 2024.

Addressing Journalists in Lusaka, Makozo Chikote states that this this follows the coming on board of the 300 Megawatts Maamba Energy Power Plant to full operation and normalization of power imports, which were affected by a technical fault on the Zambia-Namibia transmission line.

“Citizens will recall that during my update to the nation on 16th August 2024, I announced the maintenance at the 300 MW Maamba Energy Power Plant.  I am pleased to announce that as of 1st October 2024, the works at the power plant have been completed and the plant is back in full operation.”

“You may also recall that during September, the country’s imports were affected by a technical fault on the power transmission line linking Zambia and Namibia. As of today, I am pleased to announce to the nation that this fault has now been rectified and our power imports have normalized effective 1st October, 2024,” Mr. Chikote stated.

Mr. Chikote said this is not Government’s best anticipated outcome, but assured that going forward, the country is expected to see more stable power supply.

He thanked private power traders for their quick response to President Hakainde Hichilema’s call for them to contribute to mitigating Zambia’s energy deficit, while also laying a strong foundation for sustainable energy growth.

And Energy Regulation Board (ERB) Board Chairperson James Banda implored the business community not to exploit consumers by increasing prices of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), but pass on the benefits derived from tax incentives to end users by charging reasonable and affordable prices.

Meanwhile, ZESCO Board Chairperson Vickson Nc’ube said the current energy crisis presents an opportunity for the country to invest in alternative power sources to avoid such occurrences in future.