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The Zambian government has announced a cut down in electricity exports due to low power generation experienced in the Central African country.
Energy Minister Peter Kapala said government was alive to the business disruption caused by the power outage leading to citizen outrage.
He however ,maintained the government would not completely do away with exports to maintain existing power markets.
Read more: It’s criminal to sell electricity to other countries while the poor suffer —APC leader, Msoni
Kapala said that currently ZESCO was a cash strapped entity, adding that the little exports were the ones cushioning the power utility’s operations.
He said government had taken note of the disruption being caused by the ongoing load management, but that it was cautious of ensuring that there is no complete shutdown.
The Minister said this in an interview with ZANIS in the capital Lusaka on Friday that water levels at Kariba dam stands at 3.4 meters way below the previous years.
As result,he said the country was losing about 300 to 600 megawatts of electricity from the expected 1,080 megawatts of power at the Kariba North Bank power station.
Kapala said the government’s interest at the moment is to ensure that industries keep running to sustain the economy.
He assured Zambians that the current load management would stabilize in the first quarter of this year .
Kapala said government was working round the clock to bring on board the 105 Megawatts Ndola Energy Power Plant and the 150 Megawatts 5th generating unit at the 750 Megawatts Kafue Gorge lower Hydro Power Station-ZANIS
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