By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Authorities in Zambia on Monday said it is considering to import power in order avert an energy deficit that could affect output in Africa’s second-largest copper producer, as operations in other key sectors of the economy have been jeopardised.
“We are negotiating additional electricity imports that will be strategically allocated to crucial sectors, including mining, agriculture, and manufacturing to support economic stability and growth,” state-owned electricity utility Zesco said.
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The southern African country generates 86% of its electricity from hydropower stations.
Power generation has however been affected as a result of severe drought induced by El Nino, a weather phenomenon resulting from the abnormal warming of the waters in the eastern Pacific, which raises temperatures globally.
As a result, Zesco in a statement said Zambia expects a power generation deficit of 700 megawatts this year.
No further details were disclosed on how much power will be imported.
Last week, Zesco warned mining companies there may be fluctuations in power supply due to the reduced generation capacity, raising concern over the country’s copper output.
Zambia’s copper output declined to about 698,000 tons in 2023 from 763,000 tons the prior year, according to the country’s mining chamber.
The potential risk to copper production from the African nation comes at a time when the market is already concerned about tightening global supplies constraining refined production of the metal, which is used in power and construction industries.
