2024 Could Be Final Year of Energy Deficits, Says Expert

2024 could be the final year Zambia will experience an energy deficit due to substantial foreign investment in the energy sector, says energy expert Dr. Johnstone Chikwanda.

During a press briefing in Lusaka, Dr. Chikwanda presented numerous strategies to tackle the energy shortage, proposing the implementation of a Statutory Instrument which would restrict both the manufacturing and importation of electric geysers for up to 10 years whilst shifting to solar geysers. This alone, he estimated, could save the country 200 megawatts of power on average. He also suggested government incentives to encourage citizens to switch from electric to solar geysers.

Dr. Chikwanda called upon governmental bodies, commercial entities, and individual households to embrace energy-conserving habits, and requested that the Secretary to the Cabinet issue circulars inside public institutions. He also stressed the significance of renewable energy product importers extending government incentives to consumers in order to make them more accessible to the public.

The current power deficit has resulted in lengthy periods of load-shedding and power cuts, affecting trade and disrupting daily life. Planned 8-hour load shedding periods are predicted in the coming weeks and months. However, various investments in energy, including a $3.1 billion deal with the British government, will allow the country energy diversity and stability moving forward.