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)
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