Zambian Mining News The Premium Source of Information on The Zambian Mining Industry
Related Articles
Government has been commended for fast tracking 2024 legislative reforms in the country’s electricity sector.
According to Chief Financial Officer of the Copperbelt Energy Corporation (CEC), Mutale Mukuka the reforms promote greater private sector participation in both power transmission and generation, laying the foundation for a more resilient and sustainable energy industry to drive economic growth.
Speaking at this year’s Mining Indaba, Mukuka said CEC responded to the country’s energy deficit to ensure a stable and reliable power supply for the mining sector—the engine of the country’s economy.
Mukuka emphasized that the integration and interconnection of the regional power transmission infrastructure within the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) enabled CEC to swiftly activate its contractual arrangements with regional utilities and generators.
He said CEC was able to support the national energy shortfall, supplying approximately 37 percent of its Copperbelt mining customers from power imports in 2024.
“This decisive action, along with contributions from other power traders, not only bolstered energy reliability but also positioned Zambia as a key player in the regional energy landscape and emphasized the need for more regional power transmission systems connectivity,” said Mukuka.
In addition to imports, Mukuka highlighted CEC’s recent investments in renewable energy, with one 60MW solar plant commissioned during the year.
“The power generated from this plant together with CEC’s other generating plants was redirected to mitigate the energy deficit, further reinforcing Zambia’s energy security.”
Mukuka also addressed challenges within the transmission network, noting that reduced energy flows had strained the transmission system.
“In response, CEC has undertaken urgent and targeted investments to stabilize transmission infrastructure and ensure continued reliability for its customers. These investments extend beyond Zambia’s transmission backbone to include enhancements to interconnectors linking Zambia with the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).”
He however indicated that further investments in transmission infrastructure are essential to prevent grid constraints from becoming bottlenecks in the delivery of reliable electricity to consumers.
