ZESCO: NO RETURN TO NATIONWIDE LOAD SHEDDING
ZESCO has moved to reassure Zambians that the country is not expected to return to nationwide load management this year or beyond, pointing to significant gains in electricity generation and sustained investment across the power sector.
According to ZESCO Managing Director Justin Loongo, the national supply situation has remained stable thanks to a series of interventions designed to boost generation and improve the reliability of the grid. He attributed the brighter outlook to increased capacity drawn from hydro, thermal and solar sources, alongside stronger partnerships with Independent Power Producers and Independent Power Traders.
Mr Loongo said these measures had made the country’s electricity system far more resilient than in previous years, helping to secure a steady supply for households, businesses, mines, industries and other vital parts of the economy. He cautioned, however, that isolated outages could still occur in some areas, usually as a result of vandalism to critical infrastructure or network faults, and urged the public to report any unplanned outages, suspicious activity or damaged equipment through ZESCO’s customer service platforms and offices.
Looking ahead, Mr Loongo announced that ZESCO will next week host a media tour of selected generation facilities in Maamba, Livingstone and surrounding areas. The visits, taking in both ZESCO-owned plants and partner-operated thermal stations, are intended to offer first-hand insight into the work being done to safeguard supply. He reaffirmed the utility’s commitment to improving service delivery and maintaining open communication with customers and stakeholders alike.