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Energy & Water
ENERGY
ENERGYANDWATERDEVELOPMENT
Zambia has an abundance of energy resources, the
most important being hydroelectric power. With an
estimated hydropower capacity of 6,000 megawatts,
of which only about 1,640 megawatts has so far
been captured (a mere 30 percent of the total ca-
pacity), there exists an abundance of hydroelectric
power growth opportunities. Hydroelectric power
plants account for 92 percent of the total installed
capacity and 99 percent of the total electricity gener-
ated in the country. The two main hydropower sta-
tions are the Kafue Gorge Power Station (producing
990 megawatts) and the Kariba North Bank Power
Station (producing 600 megawatts).
Hydropower stations supply power to the national
grid, while diesel power generation plants are also
used to supply power to isolated, mainly remote
areas that are not connected to the national grid.
There are inter-connectors of the national grid to
that of Zimbabwe and the Democratic Republic of
the Congo (DRC), which are the two most important
export power grids.
Improving the supply of, and access to, electricity
remains a key strategic focus in order to guarantee
stable energy supply in support of private sector
growth. As energy is an important driving force be-
hind the country’s economic development, govern-
ment has prioritised its provision to areas of high
economic potential, such as mining, agriculture,
tourism and manufacturing.
The government is seeking alternative sources of
energy, such as solar power and bio-fuels, while it is
also focusing on expanding the capacity of existing
hydroelectric power stations. Intrinsic to this process
is the raising of electricity tariffs to make investment
into new capacity expansion projects more profitable
and to attract more private sector interest into the
sector. In light of Zambia’s land-locked status, an-
other pressing need is to ensure the security of the
supply of petroleum products.
In 2009, the EU and the African, Caribbean and Pa-
cific (ACP) countries launched a new global energy
The gorge at Kariba
Digging tunnels for the construction of Kariba Dam