Power deficit a wake-up call – Energy Regulation Board

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Kariba Dam,Lake Kariba from the Zimbabwean side. © Bill Corcoran:IRIN
File pic: Kariba Dam,Lake Kariba from the Zimbabwean side. © Bill Corcoran:IRIN

The Energy Regulation Board (ERB) says the power deficit the country is facing is a wake-up call on the need to come up with cost reflective electricity tariffs.

ERB Executive Director Langiwe Lungu says the electricity crisis is also what the country needed to begin to appreciate other alternative sources of energy.

Ms Lungu says the electricity crisis is also a reflection of the sub-economical electricity tariffs being charged by ZESCO.

 

She notes that if the country had cost reflective electricity tariffs, there would have been more investments in power generation by now.

Ms. Lungu was speaking to Journalists in Lusaka this afternoon after a tour of Liquefied Petroleum Gas suppliers namely Afrox Zambia Limited, Oryx Oil Zambia Limited and Muhanya Solar Limited.

Speaking during the tour of his company, Afrox Zambia Limited Regional Manager Victor Kapanda noted the need for government to consider setting up strategic storage reserves for Liquefied Petroleum Gas.

 

Mr. Kapanda says because of not having Liquefied Petroleum Gas readily available in the country, his company is now importing the gas from South Africa the reason why its price for the 1kg cylinder which used to be sold at K13 is now at K19.

He says in view of the fact that Indeni is currently not producing LPG; government should consider waiving duty on imported Liquefied Petroleum Gas as way of supporting growth and demand for gas as an alternative source of energy.

And Oryx Oil Zambia Limited Managing Director Dansel Sannigadu observed the need to improve on the capacity of transporters of Liquefied Petroleum Gas in Zambia.

 

QFM NEWS

2 COMMENTS

  1. What happened to thermal and diesel generators that used to power Lusaka suburban areas in the old? Am reminded of the sky scrapper in Zesco head office area! We have coal in Maamba, a huge power generating plant could be situated in Choma to utilize this material and big plants in major cities as standby plants to supply power when the hydro grid is off or famously load shedded?

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