Load Shedding will be a Thing of the Past, President Lungu Assures Zambians

President Edgar Lungu has assured the nation that load shedding will be a thing of the past once he commissions the Kafue Gorge Lower power station which he says will produce 750 megawatts.

President Lungu says the current electricity deficit is 810 megawatts adding that the Kafue Gorge Lower power station, and other hydro-power stations that are coming into being, including solar power stations, will certainly wipe out this power deficit.

Speaking when he officially opened the fifth session of the twelfth National Assembly, the Head of State further assured the nation that the government has invested enough in electricity generation to turn the tide around.

“Mr. Speaker, I wish to thank our people for the understanding and the resilience they have shown during this difficult period. Government continues to recognize the importance of the energy sector in facilitating social and economic activities across different sectors,” he said.

“In 2016, we undertook to increase the country’s electricity generation capacity and access to electricity. Mr. Speaker, I am glad to report that the electricity generation capacity increased from 2,800 megawatts in 2016 to 3000 megawatts in 2020. This was a result of an addition of 160 megawatts to the existing capacity from hydro, thermal, and solar energy sources.”

The President disclosed that the additional sources were from the Ndola energy power plant upgrade, the Musonda Falls power station upgrades, and the Bangweulu, Ngonye and Copperbelt Energy Corporation solar plants.

“Mr. Speaker, while the electricity generation capacity has increased, the actual electricity generation has been fluctuating due to drought that has affected most of the hydropower stations, ” he said before adding that this was happening at the time when the demand for electricity has been steadily increasing. 

“Mr Speaker, to address this rising demand, I am happy to report that an additional 750 megawatts of electricity is expected to come on board by the end of the year after the completion of the Kafue Gorge lower power station and the Chunga solar power project in Kafue National Park,” the President said.

“The coming on board of the Kafue Gorge lower power station will mark a major milestone in electricity generation in our country since the construction of the Kariba and Kafue Gorge power stations many years ago.”

This article originally appeared on Lusaka Times