Politics
Harmonise energy policies
President Hakainde Hichilema has called for the harmonisation of regional energy policies and increased investment in transmission infrastructure to build reliable power systems, stressing that Zambia’s 10,000 megawatt generation target must serve as an enabler for economic growth under the Grow Zambia Agenda.
Picture: Times of Zambia
HH calls for building of regional reliable and resilient power systems
President Hakainde Hichilema has called for increased investment in electricity transmission and distribution infrastructure to support Zambia’s target of generating 10,000 megawatts (MW) and drive economic growth under the Grow Zambia Agenda.
And President Hichilema has appealed for the harmonisation of regional energy policies to build reliable and resilient power systems.
Mr Hichilema said the target to generate 10,000 MW of power per year should not be viewed as an end in itself, but as an enabler of agriculture, mining, manufacturing, tourism and other productive sectors of the economy.
He said Zambia’s installed electricity generation capacity had increased from 3,777MW in 2024 to 4,722.3MW currently, while solar capacity had risen from 178MW to 1,027.5MW.
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The Head of State said the increase in solar capacity had enabled the country to exceed its 2026 target of 1,000MW, with solar now accounting for about 21.76 per cent of installed generation capacity, as compared to five per cent in 2024.
Mr Hichilema said reliable and adequate electricity would be critical to achieving the country’s targets of producing 10 million tonnes of maize, three million tonnes of copper, three million tonnes of soybeans, one million tonnes each of wheat and sugar, attracting five million tourists and generating US$1 billion in beef export revenue.
He said this in a speech read for him by Vice-President WK Mutale-Nalumango during the official opening of the third Energy Forum for Africa in Lusaka yesterday under the theme; “Driving a Borderless Energy Future for Africa.”
President Hichilema, however, said investment in transmission and distribution had …
Source: Times of Zambia — Read more
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