NEWS

Zambia, with financial assistance from global partners including the World Bank, is aiming to increase power output to an average 6,000 megawatts - a yardstick to making the country a regional energy hub by 2025.

Zambia’s current power output stands at 2,300MW, some of which is exported to neighbours through various inter-connectors. However, the increased vigour to grow the economy by an average of 10% by 2021 has raised the country’s urge to tap into various energy sources.

With assistance from Germany, the World Bank and other global partners, Zambia has vowed to develop all forms of energy, including wind, solar and thermal, to more than double its generation capacity as sought under the 2017-2021 7th National Development Plan.

Finance Minister Margaret Mwanakatwe said it was the government’s unrelenting desire to improve energy output to 6,000MW and meet the increasing demand at home and across the region.

“We have embarked on the rehabilitation and construction of various power plants in solar, wind, thermal and other forms so that we can be the hub of energy production and efficiency for the region and beyond by 2025.

“We are in constant liaison with several partners, the World Bank, Germany, African Development Bank and others who are either providing loans or grants to improve our energy production.

“Our hope is that with the coming on-stream major power plants including the 2,400 megawatts Batoka Gorge as well as local hydro, solar and wind energy producing plants, will see us meet the energy needs for Zambia and the region by 2025,” she said.

When Zambia shifted to cost-reflective tariffs three years ago, having revised tariffs by 75%, the copper-rich nation set itself on a path to become a power hub in southern Africa.

Zambia presently shares power with its regional neighbours including Zimbabwe, Botswana and Namibia through the cross-border power link - ZIZABONA Transmission Interconnector.

Zambia also shares power with the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mozambique for emergency usage.