This maintenance, which commenced today, has resulted in the unavailability of 150 megawatts on the national grid, a situation expected to persist for the next 15 days. In a statement, ZESCO spokesperson Matongo Maumbi also highlighted a constraint in the power import route through Namibia, which has prevented ZESCO from receiving approximately 100 megawatts of scheduled power imports, exacerbating the country’s power deficit.
“In light of these challenges, ZESCO regrets that some customers, especially in Lusaka, have experienced extended power rationing of about 20 hours. The Corporation has had to implement emergency load management measures to maintain network stability,” Maumbi said.
He further mentioned that ZESCO has initiated a reduction in power exports to help mitigate the current power deficit. He appealed to customers, particularly large power users, to optimize their production schedules and utilize alternative energy sources where possible, to ease the pressure on the grid.
“The Corporation is making every effort to sustain power supply to critical loads, maintain essential services, and support the continued operation of productive sectors,” Maumbi added. He assured that as the network stabilizes, power will be gradually restored to affected areas to prevent overloading the system.