ZESCO

Last updated

Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation Limited
Company type Public
IndustryElectricity Generation and Supply
Founded1970
Headquarters Lusaka, Zambia
RevenueUS$ 409 million (2017)
Number of employees
3,600 (2007)
Parent State owned
Website www.zesco.co.zm

ZESCO (acronym for Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation Limited) is a state-owned power company in Zambia. It is Zambia's largest power company producing about 80% of the electricity consumed in the country. ZESCO represents Zambia in the Southern African Power Pool.

Contents

Operations

The company operates nine hydropower stations with a potential combined capacity of 2,217.5  MW and eight small thermal power plants with a combined potential capacity of 11.3 MW resulting in a total of 2,228.8 MW. Due to poor maintenance and substandard practices, these capacities are not achieved. [1]

The company also owns and operates power distribution and transmission lines of 9,975 km.

ZESCO has formed power purchase agreements with private companies that own power plants in Zambia. It purchases the power produced and feeds is partially into the national grid, with a higher portion resold to neighboring countries. GL Africa Energy provides the national grid through ZESCO with over 105 MW of power under this agreement. [2]

ZESCO owns 40% shares in EL Sewedy Electric Zambia Limited. [3]

In June 2022, ZESCO signed a 13-year Bulk Supply Agreement (BSA) with Copperbelt Energy Corporation (CEC) Plc. The power supply limit under the BSA was set at 380MW. ZESCO projects that they will earn an estimated US$150.0 million per annum from the agreement. These earnings are expected to translate into an estimated US$2.0 billion over the lifetime of the BSA. [4]

In July 2022, at the 94th Agricultural and Commercial Show in Lusaka, the managing director of the National Utility ZESCO, Victor Mapani announced that the company plans to deploy Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations across the country in an effort to accelerate and promote the transition to EVs and enhance carbon emission reduction. But has made no forward effort to this commitment. [5]

In November 2024, nation-wide blackouts occurred. [6] Although the power was restored the next day, ZESCO struggled to keep up with the electricity demands in Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Power stations

Limitations

The national grid in Zambia only extends to some parts of the country. For example, it ends 380 kilometres (240 mi) from the Ikelenge area around Kalene Hill in the extreme northwest, and as of 2008, ZESCO had no plans to provide power to this remote area due to an increase in shareholder allotments. In response, some small-scale private operations have been established such as the Zengamina 700 KW hydroelectric generator. [7] The Energy Regulation Board is encouraging private investment in hydroelectric power generation in view of the power deficit. [8]

See also

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References

Notes

  1. ↑ Energy Sector Report 2014 (PDF) (Report). Energy Regulation Board, Zambia. 2015.
  2. ↑ Kangali, Chatula (29 April 2016). "Zambia: Ndola Energy Project to Expand". The Times of Zambia (Ndola). Retrieved 7 July 2017.
  3. ↑ zambiadispatch (27 April 2022). "zesco-receives-2m-dividend-from-el-sewedy-electric". zambiadispatch.com. Retrieved 28 April 2022.
  4. ↑ daily-mail (11 July 2022). "zesco-to-earn-2bn-from-cec-deal". daily-mail.co.zm. Retrieved 13 July 2022.
  5. ↑ zambianobserver (30 July 2022). "zesco-to-deploy-ev-charging-stations-in-many-towns-mapani". zambianobserver.com. Retrieved 31 July 2022.
  6. ↑ cajnews (28 November 2024). "More power setbacks for Zambia, Zimbabwe - CAJ News Africa" . Retrieved 9 January 2025.
  7. ↑ "Zengamina Hydro Project". North West Zambia Development Trust. Retrieved 16 December 2011.
  8. ↑ "ERB Approves Zengamina Tariffs" (PDF). The Energy Regulator (SECOND ed.). 2008. Retrieved 16 December 2011.


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