- Electricity generation rises to 4,722MW
NKOMBO KACHEMBA
Lusaka
ZAMBIA’S installed power generation capacity has increased to 4,722.3 megawatts (MW) from 3,777MW in 2024, President Hakainde Hichilema has revealed.
The President has since called for increased investment in transmission and distribution infrastructure to ensure the new power can be evacuated and delivered to consumers.
Peak national demand for electricity stands at around 2,400MW, according to data from the Ministry of Energy.
“I must emphasise that although we have recorded positive gains and investment in the generation space, transmission and distribution space is lagging behind,” he said in a speech read for him by Vice-President Mutale Nalumango at the third edition of the Energy Forum for Africa in Lusaka yesterday.
President Hichilema said the growth in generation capacity is being driven by the Government’s efforts to diversify the energy mix, particularly through increased investment in solar, thermal generation and battery energy storage.
Solar installed capacity has risen sharply from 178MW in 2024 to 1,027.5MW, exceeding the 2026 target of 1,000MW.
Solar photovoltaic generation now accounts for approximately 21.76 percent of Zambia’s installed capacity, compared with about five percent in 2024.
President Hichilema said the growth demonstrates what can be achieved when policy direction, private investment, project development, financing and implementation are brought together.
The increase in installed capacity comes as Government pursues its 10,000MW electricity generation target under the Grow Zambia Agenda.
However, President Hichilema said the 10,000MW target should not be viewed as an isolated energy ambition but an enabling platform for Zambia’s broader economic transformation.
He said reliable, adequate and affordable electricity is required to support the country’s targets in agriculture, mining, manufacturing, tourism, irrigation, agro-processing, transport and digital services.
“If we are to produce 10 million tonnes of maize, we need electricity for irrigation, mechanisation, storage, milling and processing,” he said.
President Hichilema said expanding copper production and mineral value addition will similarly require dependable electricity for mines, concentrators, smelters and manufacturing.
He said the country’s energy strategy should therefore be measured not only by the number of megawatts added to the grid but also by the economic activity enabled by the additional power.
The President urged cooperating partners, the private sector and other stakeholders to prioritise investment in transmission and distribution infrastructure to support power evacuation from new generation projects. https://enews.daily-mail.co.zm/welcome/home
