By SYLVESTER MWALE  –
ZESCO has officially started the importation of 148 megawatts from Mozambique which is set to cushion the current power deficit currently being experienced.

. Mwale

This followed an announcement on Monday by acting Chief Government spokesperson Vincent Mwale that the power utility firm would begin getting power from Aggreko Power Plants based on the Port of Beira.
Zesco spokesperson Henry Kapata who confirmed in an interview, said the importation started yesterday morning.
“It is true that we have started the importation of power today (yesterday), and as you can see it is still not enough but it will help to cushion the current situation,” he said.
Besides the importation of the 148 megawatts, Mr Kapata said the power utility firm had continued with other interventions aimed at mitigating the power deficit.
“The first thing is to conserve what we have, and you may already know that we are currently distributing energy saving bulbs which will help to conserve electricity.
“We are also encouraging our consumers to use alternative energy such gas, wind and solar energy in order to relieve pressure on the hydropower energy,” Mr Kapata said.
He also revealed that the power outages at Heroes National Stadium during the football match had nothing to do with load shedding and the company was investigating the matter.
The power is being imported from Aggreko Power Plant, a Beira-based Scottish firm specialised in generator rental and temporal power plants in Africa which has been supplying electricity from its energy ship at the Port of Beira.
Mr Mwale told journalists on Monday after the 18th Cabinet meeting at State House that the importation of power is one of several Government interventions aimed at mitigating the power outages.
“It may not be able to meet the entire deficit that we have, but 148 megawatts is a lot of power to be able to mitigate the power deficit that we have now and cushion the current load shedding,” he said.
The country currently has a power deficit of 560 megawatts which has arisen due to unprecedented reduced water levels at Kariba Dam.
However, the Government has assured that the country would have excess power within the next six month before becoming one of the major net exporters of electricity in the next 18 months.
As well as the 148 megawatts, the country is expected to have additional 150 megawatts by November this year through thermal power plant.