SAPP EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING OFFICIALLY OPEN IN ZAMBIA AS GOVERNMENT URGES ORGAN TO SEEK SOLUTIONS TO CURRENT REGIONAL ENERGY CHALLENGES
The 56th Executive Committee Meeting of the Southern Africa Power Pool (SAPP) has officially kicked off today, Thursday, 4 April 2024 in Lusaka, with the Zambian Government urging the organ to push for initiatives that will provide solutions to current energy challenges in the region.
Officially opening the Executive Committee Meeting at Ciela Resort, Lusaka, Energy Minister, Peter Kapala observed that economies in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) member countries have continued to thrive in fulfilment of the SADC industrialisation thrust hence an urgent need for power.
“I, therefore, call upon you as experts in the field to continue to apply your minds and bring to the table solutions that will keep the lights on, commerce ticking, industry running and agriculture flourishing even in these challenging environments. Electricity is one of the critical driving forces for economic development and you are at the centre of making it work,” he said.
Mr. Kapala noted that the SADC region faces electricity challenges which include insufficient generation capacity to meet the growing power demand whose shortfall is close to eight thousand (8,000 MW) Mega Watts.
“Lack of adequate transmission and distribution infrastructure to deliver electricity to end users, high transmission, and power distribution losses, which increase cost of supply to consumers, limited regional trade of power due to transmission constraints particularly along the central transmission corridor, and the effects of climate change on generation production are some of the challenges facing electricity service industry in the SADC region.”
He urged the organ to use the meeting to look at various issues ranging from planning, project preparation, operations, electricity markets and environmental areas.
“This meeting allows you to address the issues I have mentioned here. The SADC region has huge energy resource potential in the form of coal, gas, hydro and renewable energies including solar, wind, biomass and geothermal that need to be exploited in an economically sound and sustainable manner for the benefit of the whole region. I take it that your deliberations are part of the vital input to this process.”
Meanwhile outgoing SAPP Chairperson and ZESCO Limited Managing Director, Eng. Victor Benjamin Mapani said SAPP utilities are faced with huge power deficits which have resulted in slowing down of economies in the region.
“Honourable Minister, we believe that in the SAPP there are solutions to attend to this. The SAPP continues to grow, we are getting more brains on the table; more ideas; marketing is becoming different and more divergent. Along side, we have our sponsors; the financial institutions as you have seen they are now actually sitting together with us because we are in the business finding solutions.”
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Eng Mapani added that SAPP has continued to grow with an addition of two members in recent years.
“The two entities that have joined SAPP include GreenCo and Maamba. We also have one entity from Zimbabwe Nyangani renewable energy which has also joined SAPP. So, SAPP is growing, and the idea is to get this entity to drive projects in an economic and yet profitable manner. We are grateful and cherish the support that the governments in these countries do provide to us. We are grateful for the approvals of instruments that you present for us to run SAPP properly.
Currently, the SAPP comprises 17 power utilities from 12 Southern African Development Community (SADC) countries with the Republic of Zambia as the outgoing Chair of the organ.
SAPP member countries include, Zambia, South Africa, DR Congo, Namibia, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, Malawi, Angola, Botswana, Lesotho, Eswatini and Tanzania.
The SAPP Executive Committee Meeting is being Co-hosted by ZESCO Limited, Copperbelt Energy Corporation (CEC), Lunsemfwa Hydro Power Company, GreenCo Power Services Limited, Ndola Energy supported by Zanaco and Absa Bank.
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Student: International Business Admininstrator & Clinet Manager | Junior Pastor | Pan Africanist|
2 周Saturday, November 9(th) 2024.?? ______________________________ Dear Zesco Limited Team, I hope this message finds you well. As a concerned citizen and valued customer of Zambia, I wanted to share my thoughts on our power supply. A Call to Action for Sustainable Power Supply. ??????????????????????????????????????????????? I appreciate the progress made since March 8, 2024, in reducing load shedding and improving power supply. Considering our nation's growth and potential, I believe we can do even better. With Kariba Hydro Power Station's excess water capacity, I suggest implementing a proactive power management plan. This could include: ? Scheduled power outages with prior notice to conserve energy ? Optimizing KHPS's capacity to safeguard against future hardships By doing so, you'll not only ensure sustainable power supply but also demonstrate your commitment to Zambia's development. Thank you for your tireless efforts. I look forward to seeing continued improvement. Best regards, Wodala.????????
Information Systems Specialist
7 个月My observation is the value of revenue lost due to load-shedding is huge and not easily calculated. In addition there is also loss of potential business due to the negative image load shedding creates. No one will start a new project in an area with a regular 8hr power outage with an unpredictable schedule at that! I strongly suggest that you consider buying that power deficit (for that 8hrs) instead of turning off supply even if ZESCO raises the rates to cover the cost of importing. We will load-shed our homes and businesses our selves if need be! Think about that!!
Accomplished Mechanical Fitter Committed to Optimal Industrial Machinery Performance and Efficiency
7 个月Kindly separate trading markets lines from residential area power lines, these are the key issues decision makers must think of,not just switching off and on without consideration of affected Businesses.Why honestly can you load shedding markets?
Accomplished Mechanical Fitter Committed to Optimal Industrial Machinery Performance and Efficiency
7 个月Ba Zesco be serious for once, and tell the nation truth about exact number of loadsheding hours.Here in Mushili they supposed to switch off at 13:00hrs, now they cut off at 09:36.The other anormally is the loadshedding of trading market areas,no way you can put business areas in same schedule with residential area,how can butchery,hammer mills,barber shops, welding etc businesses run?
Electrician at Zambia railways limited
7 个月Actions towards the climate change is what we need not just mare statements that don't yield anything at all,as for the government and zesco be mindful that droughts have come to stay due to environmental miss management it's therefore high time to start planning and become vigorous over this issue. When we talk of revamping the manufacturing industry through industrialization to become economically stable as a country we need a stable reliable source of energy to drive our production in the industries. Let's take this as a personal problem rather than generalizing the issue as effects of unstable supply of energy differ at individual country level.