Copperbelt Energy Corporation has begun the construction of the 40 Mega Watts (MW) Kabombo Gorge hydro-power project in Mwinilunga to cost about US$160 million. The project will create 1,000 temporary jobs during construction and is expected to be completed in four years time. It comes with a price of displacing 115 households at Kamikezhi area. In recent years electricity demand in Zambia has been on the rise as the economy grows. This has exerted pressure on the current available supply with national installed capacity of 1,730 MW significantly below demand which is well over 2,000 MW. The construction will do little to narrow that gap.
There is more coming:
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Kafue George Lower = 750 MW at a cost of US$2 billion
Itezi-tezi = 120 MW at a cost of US$ 173-million (excluding Transmission Line works)
Batoka George = 800 MW at a cost of US$1.25-billion (the capacity is 1600MW at US$ 2.5 Billion shared equally with Zimbabwe)
Small Hydros = <100 MW
TOTAL: > 2030MW at a cost of > US$4 billion
Batoka gorge is still on the 'suggested' column. Kariba, lower kafue, Itezhi tezhi are all under construction.
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