M a r k e t N e w s
Zambia to Get Additional 120MW Power
Posted on : Wednesday , 9th March 2016
PRESIDENT Edgar Lungu has commissioned the newly-constructed Itezhi-Tezhi Hydro-power Station with assurance that Government remains committed to mitigating the current power deficit caused by global and natural factors.
The 120 megawatts (MW) station was built at a cost of US$142 million.
Mr Lungu said despite some challenges the country was facing, the Patriotic Front (PF) administration was committed to making Zambia an energy power house in the region.
Speaking yesterday at the commissioning of the facility witnessed by scores of Itezhi-Tezhi residents, Mr Lungu said the Government was committed to delivering electricity to all parts of the country.
"This is being achieved through several key projects aimed at addressing the entire power system infrastructure including generation, transmission and distribution.
"The commissioning of the 120 Megawatts Itehzi-Tezhi hydro-power project demonstrates my Government's unwavering efforts to ensure the country has the much needed energy security," he said.
The Itezhi-tezhi Power Corporation is a joint venture company between Tata Zambia and Zesco. The power project started in 2011 with funding from, among others, banking institutions and the Development Bank of Southern Africa.
President Lungu urged Energy and Water Development Minister Dora Siliya to ensure all the remaining electricity projects were completed to increase the country's generation capacity.
He said the responsibility to remedy the many years of neglect of the power sector was for all Zambians, and that it was naive for some politicians to claim that it was the PF causing the power deficit.
The energy crisis Zambia was facing, like any other country, was caused by a combination of factors such as many years of lack of investment in the sector and the vagaries of nature such as poor rainfall patterns in recent years.
"The energy crisis we face today is neither a product of four years in power as PF nor a creation of Edgar Lungu's one year as President.
"We found a crippling power deficit, but it remains one of our top priorities to ensure that the country has sufficient electricity to power homes and industries," he said.
He urged stakeholders at the Maamba Coal-fired power plant under construction in Sinazongwe District to ensure they complete the project before the end of July this year to help increase power supply.
Earlier, Ms Siliya assured that Government would deliver more projects to increase power supply and help mitigate power outages.
Central Province Minister Davies Chisopa said the people of Itehzi-Tezhi were happy with the project.
Zesco managing director Victor Mundende said the Itezhi-Tezhi power project, the first hydro-power plant under the Public-Private Partnership, was important in increasing capacity of power generation in the country by 120MW.
Source : allafrica.com
