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Although Zambian consumers take up the bulk of locally-generated power, state utility Zesco is looking to maintain a ‘healthy’ relationship with external electricity buyers, which include Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe and mineral-rich Democratic Republic of Congo.

State-owned utility Zesco is looking for a new renewable energy contractor, having put on hold a 2.4GW solar PV development with China’s CiEG. Work on other projects is continuing, but this is a difficult period for Zambia, which has still to implement its multilateral debt deal amid a lack of foreign currency and financing, writes Chiwoyu Sinyangwe in Lusaka.

State power utility Zesco Ltd has signed a ten-year power supply agreement (PSA) with Canada’s First Quantum Minerals (FQM), in a move expected to ringfence the future of one of Zambia’s most important mining assets.

The Zambian government has said it will abandon the current 30-day pricing cycle for petroleum products and instead move to a 90-day review period, reversing a policy that was set late last year. However, the Energy Regulation Board (ERB) has told African Energy that changing the price review mechanism cannot happen “overnight” and a number of issues need to be assessed before the current 30-day cycle can be discarded.

London AIM-listed Arc Minerals has finalised its Domes region copper joint venture (JV) with mining major Anglo American – the latter’s first new Zambian investment in two decades.

Zambian state-owned utility Zesco has signed a system operations agreement with GreenCo Power Services allowing the energy trader to sell power from the Ilute solar PV plant to the Southern African Power Pool (Sapp) market.

A Dubai-based company backed by a well-connected but relatively low-profile member of Dubai’s ruling Al-Maktoum family has been signing deals across Africa to generate carbon credits – generating some controversy in the process.

A target construction date has been set for the Ilute solar PV plant following the signing of an implementation agreement between the government and off-taker Africa GreenCo Group. Nairobi-headquartered independent power producer (IPP) Serengeti Energy and Zambian partner Western Solar are jointly developing the project.  On completion, it will be Zambia’s first plant to sell power to a private intermediary offtaker.

Expressions of interest (EoI) have been requested by the Ministry of Energy for consultancy services to prepare a 40MW wind plant, following a general procurement notice.

Washington has added to its support for the Lobito Corridor by backing a new spur to north-western Zambia. With Brussels now also on board, western efforts to counter Chinese influence over critical minerals are gathering pace.

Kalahari GeoEnergy (KGE) has set a date for the expected commissioning of a 50kW pilot geothermal plant at Bweengwa in Southern Province. The project is Zambia’s first geothermal independent power producer (IPP) and is due to expand to 10MW over time.

Kalahari GeoEnergy (KGE) has said it expects to commission a 50kW pilot geothermal plant at Bweengwa in Southern Province by year-end. The project is Zambia’s first geothermal independent power producer (IPP) and is due to expand to 10MW over time.

Zambian state utility Zesco’s plan to reduce its chronic indebtedness is making progress, with a crucial renegotiation of existing power purchase agreements (PPAs) with independent power producers (IPPs) appearing to bear fruit.

Construction of the long-awaited Zambia-Tanzania-Kenya (ZTK) interconnector is expected to start by year-end, according to comments by Zambian utility Zesco’s managing director Victor Mapani to African Energy.

Most big oil companies reported a sharp falls in profits in Q2 2023, but Africa still figures prominently in results and future plans – and where it doesn’t majors are able to divest at least some of their more attractive assets.