Zambia completes feasibility studies on hydropower stations' construction

LUSAKA, ZAMBIA - Zambia has completed feasibility studies for the development of two hydropower stations which will upon completion add 870 megawatts to the country's current capacity of 1,700 megawatts.

Chief engineer in charge of hydrology Romas Kamanga was quoted by the local media as saying the two projects, Kafue Gorge Lower and Itezhi-Tezhi, were earmarked for construction soon.

"The construction works are expected to commence soon, maybe at the end of this year or probably early next year," Kamanga told Zambia Daily Mail.

The Kafue Gorge Lower project with a designed capacity of 750 megawatts will cost 500 million U.S. dollars while the Itezhi-Tezhi one will produce 120 megawatts at a cost of 100 million dollars, according to Kamanga.

"Right now we are looking at areas of increasing our electricity generation capacity to meet the fast increasing demand for power both at home and abroad. We hope when construction for these two hydropower stations is completed our generation base will be greatly enhanced," Kamanga said.

He did not disclose who will finance the two projects but said the state-owned Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO) has reached agreements with a Chinese company and some Iranian investors on the construction of the projects.