Jeu 23 Juin 2011 07:54
CCE reçoit l'approbation environnementale du rapport d'impac
Thursday, 23 Jun 2011
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Copperbelt Energy Corporation may construct the much awaited 40 MW Kabompo hydro power stations in north western Zambia to increase the country’s demand for power, chiefly consumed by the mines.
Mr Hanson Sindowe executive chairman of CEC said that the Environmental Council of Zambia has since approved the environmental impact assessment impact report that the power company submitted to the country’s agency to enable it constructs the project at which it would be expected to spend an estimated USD 150 million to be set up by the end of 2011.
Mr Sindowe said the approval of the environmental impact assessment report would enable the company continue with its plans to set up the plant before the end of the year at which the power company would compliment to the energy deficit.
Mr Neil Crouched MD of CEC said that recently Copperbelt Energy Corporation stated that it has stepped up preparations for the development of Kabompo hydro Gorge hydro power station in North Western Province. The environmental impact assessment report is one of the pre-requisites for companies seeking to start large scale projects including mining, energy and other construction related projects to ascertain how much it would impact on the people in the affected areas before a licence could be issued.
Mr Croucher said that his company, the supplier of power to mining companies on the Copperbelt region of the country plans to construct the 33 MW power station, estimated to cost USD 120 million with part of the funds likely to come from financiers to supplement its internally mobilized finances.
The Government awarded the company the right to undertake the project in partnership with TATA Africa Holdings, but the latter pulled out. The project would start next year and would be completed in 2013. The project was progressing well and there was a lot of work being undertaken and that the company had prepared documentation on financing of the project to be floated to potential financiers and other stakeholders.
Mr Croucher said that the project is proceeding and we are currently doing a lot of background tasks such as environmental impact assessment and consultation with communities and the local chiefs in the area. We are also working at the funding mechanisms for the project.
He added that the company was committed to developing strategic partnerships with technical and financial resources to realize a shared vision of energy infrastructure development in Zambia and surrounding countries and that the company had in the past implemented several development projects such as the USD 35 million investment to connect Konkola Copper Mine’s Nchanga Smelter and Konkola Deep Mining Project to the CEC system.