Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (ZESCO) has announced a planned shutdown of its Kariba power station on September 14 due to severe water shortages.
Currently, the Zimbabwe Power Company, a branch of the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA), is generating 215 MW at its Kariba South Power Station, which has a total capacity of 1,050 MW.
On September 2, the Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) reported that water levels at Kariba Dam are critically low for power generation. The Usable Live Storage has plummeted to just 8.30%, a significant drop from 26.08% on the same date last year.
In a statement released on September 1, ZESCO informed customers that it is providing power for only up to 3 hours per day on a rotational basis to address the ongoing power crisis. The statement noted a considerable shortfall preventing ZESCO from implementing a previously announced 17-hour power rationing schedule that was set to begin on September 1, 2024. This situation has arisen due to:
1. Decreased power imports from the southern circuit through Namibia, caused by a fault in the transmission line converter, leaving ZESCO with only 33 MW of the expected 160 MW.
2. Ongoing annual maintenance at Maamba Collieries Limited, which has temporarily removed 150 MW from the national grid.
To alleviate the effects of this power supply shortfall, ZESCO is taking several actions:
1. Providing residential customers with power for up to 3 hours a day on a rotational basis to ensure access to essential services like water.
2. Prioritizing critical services, including healthcare, water supply, and security.
3. Installing diesel-powered generators in selected markets to support business continuity. This will help relieve grid pressure by redistributing some power that was initially reserved for exempted loads.
ZESCO will continue to closely monitor the situation and plans to issue an updated power rationing schedule once conditions improve and network stability is restored.
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