Zambia announced on Thursday it will import electricity from South Africa and Zimbabwe as drought reduced hydropower output, leading to load shedding of up to 16 hours a day.

Speaking at a press conference, Energy Minister Makozo Chikote said that the state-owned power company ZESCO will procure 218 megawatts of power from South Africa’s Eskom and the Zimbabwe Power Company. Said Chikote:

ZESCO Limited has negotiated the procurement of 218 MW of power from Eskom, South Africa, and Zimbabwe Power Company… The electricity procured from the two companies is expected to be injected into the grid within the month of August.

Chikote also revealed that as of June 30, 2024, Zambia had recalled 260 MW out of a total of 500 MW from the export market.

The Zambian Energy Minister further stated that by the end of July, ZESCO could only supply less than half of the country’s peak demand, putting the power deficit at around 1,360 megawatts.

Meanwhile, the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC), which is currently generating 1,325 MW, can sell excess electricity during off-peak hours.

ZETDC, Zimbabwe’s electricity distribution company, is currently implementing up to 16 hours of load shedding during the day. However, at night, due to reduced electricity usage, the country has a surplus.

On Monday, August 5, the Hwange Thermal Power Station hit 1 Gigawatt (1,004 MW) of power generation, a significant milestone.

However, Kariba was only generating a paltry 292 MW, while independent power producers (IPPs) contributed 29MW, giving a total generation of 1,325 MW for Zimbabwe.

More: Pindula News