Zesco to purchase more than 200MW from Maamba Collieries
By admin - Tue Aug 30, 5:47 pm
The Energy Regulation Board regulatory consent for ZESCO Limited and Maamba Collieries Limited (MCL) to enter into a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA), under which 265.5 Mega Watts of the 300 Mega Watts from the coal powered thermal plant will be sold to ZESCO for a period of 20 years.
The project, which will be the first coal fired thermal power plant in Zambia, will not only contribute to meeting local energy demands, but also help to diversify electricity generation sources.
Currently, over 99% of the electricity generated in Zambia is hydro based.
The coal-fired thermal power plant will help improve national security of supply in the event of drought, which could adversely affect hydropower.
MCL will design, finance, construct, commission, own, operate and maintain the coal-fired power generation plant to be located at Maamba Town in Southern Province.
ERB Communications Officer Kwali Mfuni states in a News statement that the two single circuit 330 kilo volts lines will be constructed from the power plant to the ZESCO system at Muzuma substation.
ZESCO is expected to construct, test and commission the interconnection facilities in line with the Development and Connection Agreement and in order to provide for transmission of the generated power.
MCL, which is jointly owned by Nava Bharat Limited of Singapore and Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines–Investment Holdings-ZCCM-IH, expects to spend about 650 Million US dollars to develop Phase one of the project.
It is expected that phase one of the project will be completed and commissioned by 2014.