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750 MEGAWATTS UNLOCKED AS ZESCO COMMISSIONS KAFUE GORGE LOWER

Zambia’s state-owned electricity company, ZESCO Limited has commissioned the 750 Megawatts Kafue Gorge Lower Hydropower plant. The $2 billion power project is expected to enhance the nations installed power generation capacity to 38 percent. Speaking on Friday during the official commissioning of the hydropower plant in Chikankata District, Southern Province, ZESCO Managing Director Victor Mapani says the corporation is delighted to officially launch the plant at full capacity. “I wish to clearly state that before today’s event, Kafue Gorge Lower Hydropower plant was operating on one generating Unit from the initially planned five following the suspension of works by the main contractor due to outstanding payments. This meant that the country could only utilize 150 megawatts or a fifth of the total generating capacity,” he said. Mr. Mapani further disclosed that ZESCO has successfully managed to inject the remaining 600 megawatts due to the corporation’s ability to raise its own finances, create workable solutions and implement an effective network system. “This success is owed to a strong system that we have developed as a company which resulted into the corporation managing to finance the completion of three generating Units within six months giving us 600 Megawatts. Today we complete the circuit with the commissioning of the fifth and final turbine giving us the maximum generating capacity of 750 Megawatts we are witnessing today,” he said. Meanwhile Republican President Hakainde Hichilema says Energy remains key to the New Dawn Government’s agenda for economic transformation and is essential to accelerating Zambia’s rise to prominence as a hub for regional, manufacturing and processing. “The development of this Power Infrastructure asset has boosted the country’s installed electricity generating capacity by 750 megawatts and an additional 12 Megawatts from the mini hydropower plant which is expected to come later this year. Your government remains committed to developing renewable energy solutions like solar power plants that produce intermittent power. However, hydropower plants will continue to provide base-load while realizing the requisite energy mix to attain a resilient power system which is immune to climatic shocks,” he said. The President has further lauded ZESCO Limited’s ambitions to increase electricity generating stations in the Northern region of the country. “ZESCO has made clear its active plans to develop more electricity generating stations in the Northern parts of the country where major loads are located, and more energy demand is projected especially from areas such as Luapula Province whose mining potential has yet to be fully tapped owing to inadequate power supply. These deliverables are premised on several other shared local and global commitments key among them, the sustainable development goals particularly no7 which states the need to ensure access to affordable reliable sustainable and modern energy for all.” Mr Hichilema has thanked and commended the Chinese government for being an all-weather friend in the country’s social economic transformation. “The new dawn government is particularly grateful to the People’s Republic of China for the partnership that yielded the project financing and construction works. This collaboration between the two countries is manifestation of economic diplomacy we passionately ascribe to. I wish to also thank other stakeholders that contributed to the success of this project by partnering with government through ZESCO to improve Zambia’s electricity service industry.” And speaking on behalf Energy Minister Peter Kapala, Infrastructure and Housing Minister Charles Milupi says the completion and launch of the Kafue Lower Gorge Hydropower plant by ZESCO Limited symbolizes the change of narrative to the effect that Zambia’s electricity supply industry is no longer about the never-ending talk of potential but actualization, growth and expansion. “The implementation of this project was not without challenges, the most incapacitation being the covid-19 pandemic. However, foresight and determination on the part of ZESCO led to this success story we are telling today. Special thanks to project contractor, Sino hydro Corporation who worked through one of the most crippling pandemics, covid-19.”

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SOFTWARE UPGRADE TO PREPAID VENDING SYSTEM

The ZESCO Prepaid Vending System will be temporarily unavailable for use on Friday 10 March 2023 from 18:00 hours to Saturday 11 March 2023 06:00 hours. This temporary unavailability is to facilitate software upgrades. Customers are encouraged to plan ahead and purchase electricity units in advance, to avoid any disruptions in their daily routines. Software upgrades are essential for the smooth functioning of the Prepaid Vending System. ZESCO Limited apologizes for any inconvenience this may cause.

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ZESCO UNVEILS STRATEGIC PLAN (10 YEAR ROLLING 2022-2031)

ZESCO Limited’s Strategic Plan has finally been launched revealing a refreshed core ideology and a $6 billion-dollar projected investment across the utility’s value chain of Generation, Transmission, Distribution and Supply. Managing Director, Eng. Victor B. Mapani cut the ribbon to present the document at an event held on 1 February 2023 at Mulungushi International Conference Center and via the Zoom platform, exclusively reserved for employees. The Managing Director called for a mindset shift and appealed to all employees, being key actors in the plan’s implementation, to embrace the Company’s new core ideology which espoused - Integrity, Teamwork and Innovation among its corporate values. To reorganize and better enable ZESCO transform into a commercially viable business and one of sound reputation, the Corporation has set among its strategic objectives, to enhance operational efficiency; to expand its power generation portfolio; to upgrade transmission infrastructure and reduce transmission losses; to promote trade; and to promote alternative green and renewable energy. “As a Government owned entity, ZESCO’s strategic intents must always align to the shareholder’s broader development objectives, among them the 2019 Energy Policy, the Ministry of Energy strategic plan, and the Eighth (8) National Development Plan, all of which placed a high premium on electricity as an enabler of their actualisation,” he said. The Managing Director said implementation of the strategic plan would culminate into a results-based management practice for the Corporation, thereby promoting performance, which is centered on outputs and outcomes. He stressed that the plan would remain nothing but a wish list if employees, as key actors did not commit to its implementation in line with the Company’s ethos of Efficiency, Effectiveness and Excellence. Presenting the highlights on the projected investments in generation and transmission projects, Director – Power Generation, Mr. Wesley Lwiindi said that ZESCO would, in some instances, take the special purpose vehicle route as a suitable model for major project implementation. Deputy Director – Finance and Treasury, Ms. Inonge Zekko said ZESCO had made strides in improving its financial health, citing among other accomplishments, debt restructuring explaining that the Corporation’s debt was unsustainable and an impediment to its ability to effectively finance its projects and operations. Speaking to the critical need to revamp ZESCO’s fatigued distribution and supply network as a solution to improve customer service delivery, Director – Distribution and Customer Service, Mr. Peter Chamfya explained that short of ensuring that customers had uninterrupted power supply, ZESCO’s reputation as a service provider would remain compromised. He revealed that the Company had commenced the process to introduce an “Enterprise Asset Management Systems”, a tool intended to improve system maintenance and faults resolution coordination. Driving home the importance of the optimal utilisation of the available human capital, Director – Human Capital and Development, Mr. Maxwell Saya assured the employees implementation of a performance-based system was to ensure enhanced productivity. The new ZESCO core ideology was unveiled as follows: Vision “To be an effective provider of reliable and environmentally sustainable electricity services to all our customers by 2031” Mission “To provide efficient, innovative, and excellent electricity services and energy solutions to our local and international customers”. Values • Integrity • Customer centricity • Innovation • Teamwork • Safety and environmental sustainability.