REA optimizes power generation

 By Lumbiwe Mwanza

Morgan Chama anxiously puts up a smile as he uses his barbing machine to fix his clients’ hair style in readiness to get paid, before a scheduled power cut.  

But Chama, 30, is unable to fully hide the pain in his eyes caused by the persistent load-shedding that is in turn affecting his barbershop which solely depends on electricity supply from ZESCO, Zambia’s major power utility company. 

“I depend on a constant power supply to work but lack of electricity these days has a direct negative impact on my business. I am now unable to make enough income to pay bills and provide for my family,” Chama bemoaned.

Of late, the incessant power supply has hit the economy hard across all sectors, including metal fabricators, hair salons, and butcher’s shops among others. Thomas Sipalo, owner of a butchery in Lusaka’s sprawling Soweto market, sees the impact immediately in his refrigerators. 

“My beef products go bad every time the power supply is shut down,” Sipalo complained.

Recurrent power cuts have also forced 25-year-old artisan - Noel Mulenga to shut down his welding business in Kalingalinga township, one of the slums nestled east of Lusaka town which he relied on to raise school fees for his children. He needed electricity to operate the equipment, but he could get it just for a few hours a day. 

“I had no choice but to close my barbershop after ZESCO recently rolled out a load-shedding schedule which lasts from four to eight hours at a stretch,” Mulenga narrated.

As a result, Chama recently relocated from Rufunsa district to Kampekete village in Chongwe district  - 35 kilometers east of Lusaka city, Zambia’s capital after his barbershop business failed to tick due to chronic power shutdown and went all out to re-establish himself in search of a stable power supply.

Thanks to the Rural Electrification Authority (REA) who recently completed the electrification of Kampekete Village and a Community School under a pilot project which has utilized excess 5kW power from Chitumba Solar Milling Plant. 

Chama is now among the community members who are proud beneficiaries of REA’s initiative to tap power from the excess 5kW power from Chitumba Solar Milling Plant to help run his enterprise with ease.

“I am now operating with a peace of mind because ever since I re-established my business here, I have had no challenges with power cuts here and I have since recapitalised my barbing business and I plan to open another outlet due to increased demand of my services,” Chama stated. 

Similarly, Lucy Kabwe, 34, is now also a successful owner of a liquor store who supplies cold beers to her clients in the Kampekete community. 

“My business nowadays is booming as compared to olden days when we relied on buying ice-cubes to cool the beers which was unsustainable but now, I am a proud owner of a fridge due to consistent power supply from the Chitumba Solar Milling Plant,” Kabwe

Zambia has traditionally depended on the water flows of the mighty Zambezi and Kafue rivers for its hydropower - a clean and renewable resource that now seems unsustainable. 

Chronic drought caused by climate change has lowered water levels to the point where power production is severely curtailed. The water level at the Kariba Dam has been decreasing steadily because of droughts and low inflows from the Zambezi River and its tributaries.  Droughts in recent years have cut electricity output by nearly one-third of Zambia’s total installed hydroelectric capacity of 2,380 mw.  

In 2019, water levels in the Kariba Dam plunged to their lowest level since 1996, falling to 10 percent of the normal level. Late last year, the level of usable water in Kariba, tapped by both Zambia and Zimbabwe, stood at 2.68 percent of the normal, according to the Zambezi River Authority, which manages water supply for the two countries and is responsible for the allocation of water used by Zimbabwe’s Kariba South and Zambia’s Kariba North power stations. 

Energy experts say droughts caused by climate change are not the only factor behind Zambia’s energy woes; chronic under-investment in hydro projects has also caused problems. So even when there is sufficient rain, the power supply cannot keep up with the demand from mining, manufacturing and agriculture. 

According to the US Agency for International Development, Zambia gets 85 percent of its power from hydro projects. The biggest problem is that the Southern African country is over-dependent on hydro energy, a fuel source that is subject to the vagaries of the weather.  

Therefore, rural electrification is key to unlocking the potential in these communities and provides a canvas for innovative and creative ways to plug in ordinary people.

In today's technologically advanced world, access to electricity has become an essential aspect of life. Unfortunately, many rural communities in Zambia still lack this fundamental resource. 

However, the rise of electrification initiatives by REA brings new hope, promising transformative opportunities for these underserved regions.

For this reason, REA is this year targeting to electrify 64 development projects in rural areas and the institution has done a master plan that has identified 1, 217 rural projects  that need to be electrified.

“The institution has been tasked by the government to meet 51 percent access to electricity in rural areas by 2024 following the increased budget allocation for rural electrification shows how committed the government is to seeing rural areas developed,” REA Corporate Affairs Manager Justine Mukosa recently said.