Increasing renewabale energy
Published On July 3, 2016 » 1503 Views» By Davies M.M Chanda » Features
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•RECENTLY, President Lungu commissioned the 120 MW Itezhi-tezhi hydro power project

•RECENTLY, President Lungu commissioned the 120 MW Itezhi-tezhi hydro power project

By JULIUS PHIRI –
ENERGY is described as a major catalyst of development in all sectors of the economy.
A thriving energy sector is key to achieving sustainable economic development.
In Zambia, the importance of energy has been appreciated after the country started experiencing power deficit that resulted in daily
blackouts due to countrywide rationing of electricity, or load shedding.
Wilson Chisenga, a consumer energy expert, says energy is important because it provides capacity to drive different essential activities on a daily basis.
Mr Chisenga says activities such as cooking, welding, light and heating are entirely dependent on energy.
Energy comes if various forms and types of sources such as solar panels; petroleum products, such as petrol, benzene, diesel, and kerosene as well as electricity generation.
According to Evans Kazonga Ngoma, energy is the power derived from physical and chemical usage.
He explained that sufficient energy could help to move water turbines, locomotives and other appliances.
Mr Ngoma, a Lundazi based business executive, said energy is it important because it drives the economy of any country.
He said as a country, Zambia was lucky that some initiatives were being undertaken to promote the energy sector by the Government and other cooperating partners.
“Like for example, President Edgar Lungu commissioned a US$ 200 million 100 mega watts (MW) of solar photo-voltaics (PV) power project at Lusaka South Multi –facility Economic Zone(MFEZ). For me this is good,” he said.
It’s the desire of the Government to expand the nation’s capacity for electricity generation and increase rural and national access to electricity.
Lately the energy sector has been expanding electricity generation and transmission capacities in order to enhance cost-effectiveness in the area of fuel supply in particular.
In addition, the sector has continued exploring renewable alternative sources of energy for sustainable development.
Currently, the energy sector has registered an average growth rate of more than 3.5 per cent.
In the electricity sub-sector, the generation capacity in 2011 was 1,808 mw. There was an additional 181MW 2012 to bring generation capacity to 1,989 MW.
The sector recorded significant progress with the signing of various implementation agreements for major power stations, namely, in the 120 MW Itezhi-tezhi hydropower project; Kalungwishi (247 MW), Maamba coal fired power project (300MW) and finally the EMCO coal fired thermal power plant project (300 MW) which paved the way for commencement of the projects.
In Eastern and Northern provinces, the electricity generation has improved from the previous 66 kV to 330 kilovolt (kV).
With regard to transmission line development, the rehabilitation of the Pensulo-Kasama and Pensulo-Msoro transmission lines commenced and completed by TBEA of China.
The sub-sector further recorded successes in the completion of the rehabilitation and upgrading of the Kariba North Bank (180 MW) project in November 2012.
Further, Government signed various financing agreements with various financing institutions with respect to the Itezhi-Tezhi-Mumbwa-Lusaka West and Leopard Hills Lusaka-Luangwa transmission lines.
The development of Lunzua and Lusiwasi mini-hydro power stations andfurther construction of the Shiwang’andu hydropower station, another notable development in the sector, was the development of the draft electricity and energy regulation bills.
The bills will create an enabling environment that would lead to greater efficiency in the energy sector.
During the commissioning of the first phase of the 600 MW solar project to be implemented at a cost of US$ 1.2 billion, President Lungu said Zambia was on course to transform the current power deficit into a surplus and make the country a net exporter of energy within 18 months.
The Head of State said his Government remains committed to working closely with various stakeholders and cooperating partners in achieving long-term development in the energy sector.
Mr Lungu said energy was the lifeline of any modern economy and as such, the country’s future economic prospects were closely tied to the development of the sector.
Therefore, it is regrettable that the current power deficit has negatively affected productivity, job creation efforts and Government revenue.
He said it was the plan of the Patriotic Front (PF) Government to move the country forward decisively by adopting innovative approaches aimed at increasing renewable energy generation and access.
With over 300 days of sunshine per year, Mr Lungu said Zambia has great potential to raise the rate of investment in untapped solar energy, which would not only enable the country become an electricity exporter, but would also replace the need to import expensive emergency power.
He said he was happy to announce that his Government was on course to fulfill the promise.
“We can be trusted. We have a record of making good what we promise.
The PF Government does not shrink in the face of challenge. We have confronted every difficult situations which we have faced in the past year with dignified resolve to regain the necessary stability required to re-ignite growth,” he said.
He said solar, wind, thermal and geo-thermal sources would be part of Zambia’s energy mix and would examine the nuclear option as part of efforts to ensure the country is energy secure.
He said currently, Government was compelled to import electricity at a great cost, money which would have been utilised to improve the living standards of the people.
He assured the country of self-sufficiency in electricity generation and supply.
The Head of State said solar energy was also a source of clean electricity that would improve the standard of living of the people and support environmental sustainability.
“This is why this is a proud moment for us in Government and the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) in particular because when we say we have embarked on a credible diversification programme across various sectors, we mean just that,” President Lungu said.
He thanked the international finance corporation (IFC), the World Bank Group and the United States (US) government through the Obama Power Africa initiative, for complementing the efforts to diversify the national energy mix by promoting development of renewable energy.
He said the first round of the Scaling Solar Programme has attracted the interest and participation of major players and leading solar energy companies in the world.
He said the process was now well advanced with bidders having submitted final bids and the winning bidders would be responsible for financing, construction, operation and maintenance of their respective plants under a 25-year power purchase agreements at the two sites.
President Lungu said the Zambia Scaling Solar initiative has streamlined the development of grid scale solar PV power projects by introducing a transparent, open and competitive procurement process for selecting the independent power producers.
He said the key advantage of the solar programme was to allow Government entities to procure solar power from the private sector at the lowest possible cost in tariff terms, which ultimately benefits the economy as a whole.
World Bank Country Manager Ina Ruthenberg said the development of solar electricity generation was aimed at overcoming the current power crisis.
IDC Chief Executive Officer Andrew Chipwende said 48 firms had applied for the solar project but only seven made it to the final bidding list.
The project which was commissioned by President Lungu is another milestone for reducing the load shedding which has been implemented countrywide.

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