Zambia has five large power stations, of which four are hydroelectric and one is thermal. A fifth hydroelectric power plant is under construction at Itezhi-Tezhi Dam (120MW) along with a coal powered power station at Maamba (300MW) as of 2015. There are also a number of smaller hydroelectric stations, and eight towns not connected to the national power transmission grid are served by diesel generators.

In 2014 the combined power generation from an installed capacity of 2,396MW was 14,453GWh, of which 91.2% came from hydroelectric plants.[1]

The majority of the plants are owned and operated by ZESCO, the national power utility.

Hydroelectric

Operational

Station Capacity (MW) Generation 2014 (GWh) Type Owner Notes
Kafue Gorge 990 (upgraded from 900 to 990 by upgrading the 6 Turbine Generator Units from 150MW to 165MW each) 6,666 dam ZESCO
Kafue Gorge Lower 600 (still under construction up to 750MW. 4 out of 5 by 150 MW generators each commissioned picking power station at 750MW for 3.5hrs a day by design) 910 dam ZESCO
Kariba North Bank 720 (upgraded from 600MW to 720MW by upgrading Turbine Generator Units from 150MW to 185MW each) 3,990 dam ZESCO
Kariba North Bank Extension 360 1,162 dam ZESCO Peaking plant
Itezhi-Tezhi 120 dam ZESCO
Victoria Falls 108 811 run-of-river ZESCO
Mulungushi 32 198.2 dam LHPC (SN Power)
Lunsemfwa 24 98.8 dam LHPC (SN Power)
Lunzua 14.8 3.52 run-of-river ZESCO Upgraded from 0.75MW to 14.8MW in 2015
Lusiwasi 12 58.69 dam ZESCO
Chishimba Hydroelectric Power Station 15 73 Run-of-river ZESCO
Musonda Falls 5 20.47 run-of-river ZESCO
Shiwa Ngandu 1 0.71 run-of-river ZESCO
Zengamina 0.7 run-of-river Zengamina Off-grid

Under construction

Station Capacity (MW) Fuel Owner Status
Kabompo 40 Hydro Copperbelt Energy Corporation Commissioning - not known

Thermal

Operational

Station Capacity (MW) Generation 2014 (GWh) Fuel Owner Notes
Maamba 300 coal Maamba Collieries Limited Commissioned 2016 [2][3]
Ndola HFO 105[4] 826 HFO Ndola Energy Company
Zambezi 2.35 2.5 diesel ZESCO decommissioned (off-grid)
Kabompo 1.55 3.01 diesel ZESCO decommissioned (off-grid)
Mwinilunga 1.5 3 diesel ZESCO decommissioned (off-grid)
Lukulu 1.5 2.33 diesel ZESCO off-grid
Luangwa 1.5 2.64 diesel ZESCO off-grid
Shangombo 1 0.74 diesel ZESCO off-grid
Chavuma 1 1.06 diesel ZESCO decommissioned (off-grid)
Mufumbwe 0.9 2.06 diesel ZESCO decommissioned (off-grid)
Nakambala 40 biomass Zambia Sugar

Solar

Solar power station Community Coordinates Fuel type Capacity (megawatts) Year completed Name of Owner Notes
Bangweulu Solar Power Station Kafue District 15°30′42″S 28°25′54″E / 15.51167°S 28.43167°E / -15.51167; 28.43167 (Bangweulu Solar Power Station) Solar 54 2019 Neoen[5]
Kalulushi Concentrated Solar Power Station Kalulushi District 12°43′27″S 28°05′41″E / 12.72417°S 28.09472°E / -12.72417; 28.09472 (Kalulushi Concentrated Solar Power Station) Solar 200[6] 2024 Expected Kalulushi Solar Power Consortium
Ngonye Solar Power Station Kafue District 15°31′03″S 28°25′44″E / 15.51750°S 28.42889°E / -15.51750; 28.42889 (Ngonye Solar Power Station) Solar 34[7] 2019 Ngonye Power Company Limited
Serenje Solar Power Station Chitambo District 12°45′29″S 30°34′38″E / 12.75806°S 30.57722°E / -12.75806; 30.57722 (Serenje Solar Power Station) Solar 200 2023 Expected Ultra Green Corporation Zambia Limited[8]
Zambia Riverside Solar Power Station Kitwe District 12°48′26″S 28°14′11″E / 12.80722°S 28.23639°E / -12.80722; 28.23639 (Zambia Riverside Solar Power Station) Solar 34 2023[9] Copperbelt Energy Corporation[10]

Other Projects

In March 2022, Chariot Limited of the United Kingdom together with Total Eren of France and Canadian mining giant First Quantum Minerals entered into a partnership to develop a 430MW solar and wind power project in Zambia.[11]

References

  1. ^ Energy Sector Report 2014 (PDF) (Report). Energy Regulation Board, Zambia. 2015.
  2. ^ "Maamba Collieries Limited - ZCCM Investments Holdings Plc". Retrieved 2019-03-19.
  3. ^ "Zambia - Maamba Collieries Power Generation Project - ESIA" (PDF). African Development Bank. Retrieved 2019-03-19.
  4. ^ Belgravia Services (2017). "Construction Of A 105MW Power Plant In Ndola, Zambia". Lusaka: Belgravia Services. Retrieved 6 March 2019.
  5. ^ Jean Marie Takouleu (20 March 2019). "Zambia: Bangweulu's solar park (54 MW) recently delivered by Neoen and IDC". Afrik21.africa. Paris, France. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
  6. ^ Jean Marie Takouleu (16 July 2020). "Zambia: Sinohydro to carry out work on Kalulushi CSP solar power plant". Afrik21.africa. Paris, France. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
  7. ^ ESI Africa (2 May 2019). "Zambia: 34MW Ngonye solar PV plant comes online". ESI-Africa.com. Rondebosch, South Africa. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
  8. ^ Jean Marie Takouleu (2 July 2021). "Zambia: Ultra Green to break ground on 200 MWp solar plant in September". Afrik21.africa. Paris, France. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
  9. ^ Constance (17 February 2023). "CEC commissions 34MW Solar Power Plant". copperbeltkatangamining.com. Retrieved 22 February 2023.
  10. ^ Zambia Invest (13 December 2021). "Zambia Riverside Solar Power Plant to Be Expanded to 34MW". ZambiaInvest.com. Lusaka, Zambia. Retrieved 28 March 2022.
  11. ^ "Total Eren Chariot selected to develop 430MW of renewables for Zambian mines". renewafrica.biz. 24 March 2022. Retrieved 23 May 2022.
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