By GIDEON NYENDWA
President Hakainde Hichilema yesterday commissioned the 750+12 Mega Watts at the Kafue Lower Gorge, which is an addition to the 2,800 MW of the country’s installed generation capacity.
About $2 billion was injected in to this project to enhance power generation capacity in the country which had suffered acute load shedding just a few months ago.
President Hichilema has disclosed that plans were underway to expand the Kafue Gorge Lower Power Plant to enhance power production and cure the perennial load shedding Zambians had for a long time been subjected to.
With the five turbines, including the latest commissioned one, electricity deficit could be a thing of the past and Zambia could continue exporting power without worrying of running into an electricity supply shortage.
Speaking when he paid courtesy call on seven Chiefs from Lusaka and Southern Provinces in Chikakanta District yesterday where he commissioned the fifth turbine at Kafue Gorge Lower, President Hichilema said Zambia’s target is to produce up to 2000 megawatts and the country was only short of that by about 200 Megawatts.
Mr Hichilema said the expansion would either be up-stream or downstream and that the head of State was determined to ensure that Zambia was power sufficient.
“You will see a little bit more push either upstream or lower stream, President Hichilema said. President Hichilema said it was investments such as the Kafue Gorge Lower Power project that was enabling Government to even be able to pay retirees dues such as the recent paying of former TAZARA workers.
He said the decisions by the chiefs to be present at the commissioning ceremony underscored the value they place on the ticket of development.
Mr Hichilema said the hosts of this massive project must be part of the beneficiaries that was why he had engaged with the management at ZESCO to create annuity income for the local people.
In attendance was chieftains Mukamaambo the second, Chief Mukuni, Chief Nayuma, chief Chooma, chief Chiyawa.
