Zambia plans electricity imports to ease rationing, minister says

LUSAKA, Jan 31 (Reuters) - Zambia plans to import electricity from Mozambique and the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) to ease power rationing in Africa's second-largest copper producer. Zambia started rationing electricity supply to mining companies following reduced power generation at its biggest hydropwer plant after a big drop in water levels in lake Kariba. Acting Energy Minister Collins Nzovu said at a media briefing that state-owned Zesco Ltd planned to import up to 280 megawatts (MW) of electricity from Mozambique and the SAPP. "We are looking to import 80 megawatts from the SAPP market. We are also looking at importing between 100 and 200 megawatts from EDM," Nzovu said, referring to Mozambique's power utility. The imports would be for an initial two to three months, during which water levels in lake Kariba are expected to rise and allow for increased local power generation, he said. Water levels in the lake were down at 7.13% of usable storage on Monday for the Kariba North Bank Power Station in Zambia and the Kariba South Bank Power Station on the Zimbabwean side of the lake, said the Zambezi River Authority, which manages the dam. The north bank power station has an installed capacity of 1,080 MW while the south bank power station in Zimbabwe has a capacity of 1,050 MW. Hydropower contributes more than 75% of Zambia's electricity generation. (Reporting by Chris Mfula; Editing by Anait Miridzhanian and Emelia Sithole-Matarise)