By KENNEDY MUPESENI –

THE Government should encourage coal exploration in the Northern and other regions to attract thermal power investments which will reduce power generation concentration in the southern region.
North-Western Power Company managing director Andrew Kamanga said doing so would reduce costs associated with long distance power evacuation.
“Tanzania uses a lot of coal for power generation and there is a possibility that areas bordering that country such as Nakonde, Mpulungu and Mbala districts can have coal,” Mr Kamanga said.
The country should have a diversified energy mix such as hydro, diesel, heavy fuel, thermal, coal, renewable and gas, among others.
He said the country should be divided into four power generation zones to overcome power deficit challenges while reducing on costs associated with power evacuation.
Apart from the southern region, the Government should open up the Northern, Western and North-Western regions for power generation.
Recently a Chinese energy expert observed that the country was losing close to 50 per cent of power due to long distance power evacuation.
Mr Kamanga observed that a well-organised sector could stimulate economic growth and contribute to national development looking at the strategic nature of the sector.
He said this in a presentation at the Zambia National Farmers’ Union (ZNFU) annual general congress in Lusaka last week entitled ‘Overcoming the Energy Crisis in Zambia’.
In the event that Government through Zesco decides to establish a heavy fuel or gas power plant, Mr Kamanga said this should be located in Nakonde because of proximity to Tanzania.
“We need to be strategic as a country. If it means establishing a fuel-based power plant it should be located at Nakonde purely for the Northern region because it can be less costly to build a pipeline from Dar-es-Salaam to Nakonde,” he said.