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[Zambia] Sinazongwe Coal Power Plant Coming

ZESCO will next month finalise all the power purchasing related agreements with EMCO Energy Zambia which will develop a 600 megawatts (MW) power station in Sinazongwe of Southern Province.

EMCO Energy Zambia will within the next two months start the establishment of the coal-fired power stations which will be done in two phases at a cost of US$690 million.

This will help in the country's bid to alleviate the region's current power deficit.

Meanwhile Zesco says all ongoing power projects in the country will take up in excess of US$4.4 billion in the next five years.

"EMCO is expected to come on stream, we are about to finalise all agreements attached to the power purchase agreements, by December or January, the company will kick-start construction of the 600 MW coal-powered thermal power plant in Sinazongwe," Mr Mundende said.

He said this in a presentation at the Zambia National Farmers' Union general congress in Lusaka last week.

EMCO is a company incorporated in Zambia to implement a coal-fired power generation plant in the Vwekenya area of Sinazongwe District.

Total power generation will be about 600MW to be executed in two phases and each of the 300MW and the generated electricity will be transmitted via a 330 Kilometre transmission line and fed into the ZESCO operated national grid.

The coal-fired plant, which will have a lifespan of 30 years, is expected to be implemented around three-and-a-half years after its approval from the Zambia Enviromental Management Authority (ZEMA).

Mr Mundende said work in progress for all power projects will cost US$4.4 billion and that, Lunzua Power Authority (LPA) plans to spend US$700 million to develop 247 MW on Kalungwishi River.

"All the efforts we are making are part of our strategy to diversify the energy mix in the country and mop up more power and overcome power deficit challenges in the short, medium and long term," he said.

Other projects include; Ndola Energy which will spend US$75million on 60 MW heavy fuel thermal power plants and Zesco is spending a total of US$2 billion on 750 MW on Kafue River.

The Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) solar project is expected to cost US$900 million to produce 300 MW in Lusaka and Kitwe.

www.times.co.zm

 

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