Zambia has five large power stations, of which four are hydroelectric and one is thermal. A fifth hydroelectric power plant is under construction at Itezhi-Tezhi Dam (120MW) along with a coal powered power station at Maamba (300MW) as of 2015. There are also a number of smaller hydroelectric stations, and eight towns not connected to the national power transmission grid are served by diesel generators.
In 2014 the combined power generation from an installed capacity of 2,396MW was 14,453GWh, of which 91.2% came from hydroelectric plants.
The majority of the plants are owned and operated by ZESCO, the national power utility.
Hydroelectric
Operational Station Capacity (MW) Generation 2014 (GWh)Type Owner Notes Kafue Gorge 990 (upgraded from 900 to 990 by upgrading the 6 turbine generator units from 150MW to 165MW each) 6,666dam ZESCO Kafue Gorge Lower 600 (still under construction up to 750MW; 4 out of 5 by 150 MW generators each commissioned picking power station at 750MW for 3.5hrs a day by design) 910dam ZESCO Kariba North Bank 720 (upgraded from 600MW to 720MW by upgrading turbine generator units from 150MW to 185MW each)3,990dam ZESCO Kariba North Bank Extension3601,162damZESCOpeaking plantItezhi-Tezhi120damZESCO Victoria Falls 108 811run-of-river ZESCO Mulungushi 32 198.2dam LHPC (SN Power) Lunsemfwa 24 98.8dam LHPC (SN Power) Lunzua 14.8 3.52run-of-river ZESCO upgraded from 0.75MW to 14.8MW in 2015 Lusiwasi 12 58.69dam ZESCO Chishimba Hydroelectric Power Station 15 73Run-of-river ZESCO Musonda Falls 5 20.47run-of-river ZESCO Shiwa Ngandu 1 0.71run-of-river ZESCO Zengamina 0.7 run-of-river Zengamina off-grid
Under construction Station Capacity (MW)Fuel Owner Status Kabompo 40Hydro Copperbelt Energy Corporation commissioning - not known
Thermal
Operational Station Capacity (MW) Generation 2014 (GWh)Fuel Owner Notes Maamba Coal Power Station 300 (another 300 in development) Coal Maamba Collieries Limited commissioned 2016 Ndola HFO 105 826HFO Ndola Energy Company Zambezi2.352.5dieselZESCOdecommissioned (off-grid)Kabompo1.553.01dieselZESCOdecommissioned (off-grid)Mwinilunga1.53dieselZESCOdecommissioned (off-grid)Lukulu1.52.33dieselZESCOoff-gridLuangwa1.52.64dieselZESCOoff-gridShangombo10.74dieselZESCOoff-gridChavuma11.06dieselZESCOdecommissioned (off-grid)Mufumbwe0.92.06dieselZESCOdecommissioned (off-grid)Nakambala40biomassZambia Sugar
Solar Solar power station Community Coordinates Fuel type Capacity (megawatts) Year completed Name of owner Notes Bangweulu Solar Power Station Kafue District Solar 54 2019Neoen Kalulushi Concentrated Solar Power Station Kalulushi District Solar 200 2024 expected Kalulushi Solar Power Consortium Ngonye Solar Power Station Kafue District Solar 34 2019 Ngonye Power Company Limited Serenje Solar Power Station Chitambo District Solar 200 2023 expected Ultra Green Corporation Zambia Limited Zambia Riverside Solar Power Station Kitwe District Solar 34 2023 Copperbelt Energy Corporation Choma Solar Power Station Choma District Solar 60 2025 Choma Solar Power Plant Limited Itimpi Solar Power Station Kitwe District Solar 60 2024 Copperbelt Energy CorporationChisamba Solar Power PlantChisamba DistrictSolar1002025ZESCO
Other projects In March 2022, Chariot Limited of the United Kingdom together with Total Eren of France and Canadian mining giant First Quantum Minerals entered into a partnership to develop a 430MW solar and wind power project in Zambia.
References