NO MORE LOAD SHEDDING
…Zambians will enjoy uninterrupted electricity – Mwanakampwe
ZAMBIANS will no longer experience load shedding because government has increased power generation and supply, Central Province permanent secretary Dr Milner Mwanakampwe has said.
Speaking on Monday during a media briefing in Kabwe Dr Mwanakampwe assured Zambians the era of prolonged power cuts was long gone because of the major gains the country had scored in electricity generation.
He said the current electricity output was enough to cover national demand.
“Zambians should disregard speculation about a return to load shedding. This is not happening now or anytime soon because this government has done it. It has worked on ending load shedding,” Dr Mwanakampwe said.
He said the improvement in electricity generation and supply was a result of the government’s commitment to invest in the energy sector.
He said Zambia was targeting an additional 1,000 megawatts by the end of this year through a mix of hydro, solar and coal sources.
“The challenges we faced last year with power rationing taught us important lessons. Government moved in quickly to scale up investment so that we do not find ourselves in the same situation,” Dr Mwanakampwe said.
He said the ongoing projects were meant to guarantee a stable power supply throughout the year.
Dr Mwanakampwe was hopeful future generations would only read about load-shedding in history books.
“Working with stakeholders in the energy space, we have put significant resources into expanding generation for homes and businesses. Load shedding should now be behind us,” he said.
Dr Mwanakampwe said Central Province alone was feeding 237MW into the national grid from various projects, with projections to reach 437MW by December.
He warned that rainfall patterns remain a risk to hydro output.
“That is why solar and coal will be key in backing up supply if water levels drop,” he said.
Meanwhile, Zesco Limited managing director Justin Loongo said the country’s electricity supply was sufficient to maintain supply throughout the year.
Loongo said the utility, in partnership with independent power producers, was rolling out generation projects nationwide to reinforce the grid and meet rising demand.
“Our focus is on reliability. These investments are intended to keep the lights on and shield the economy from disruptions caused by power deficits,” he said. – UPND Media
