North-western province lit up

NORTH Western province has now been connected to the national grid after years of spending over US$8 million per annum on diesel alone for the power stations to supply the major towns in the province, says ZESCO spokesperson Henry Kapata.

Mr Kapata said that ZESCO operated five diesel stations in North Western province located in and supplying Mwinilunga, Kabompo, Mufumbwe, Zambezi and Chavuma districts.

He said in an interview with the Daily Nation that the electricity company was spending about US$8 million per annum on diesel alone for the power stations.

Mr Kapata pointed out that the limited capacity and unreliability of the diesel power stations had been an obstacle to increasing access to electricity, stimulating economic growth and development and improving the quality of life in these districts. He said that ZESCO was for these reasons prompted to embark on a project to connect North Western at a cost of US$ 163 million and contracted Eltel Networks International of Sweden to construct both the transmission lines and the substations. Mr Kapata said that only Solwezi was connected to the national grid because of the presence of Kansashi mine which was operated by the former Zambia Consolidated Copper Mines.

“Under the connection of North Western province to the grid project, Mwinilunga, Kabompo, Mufumbwe, Zambezi and Chavuma have just been connected to the grid. Government seeks to improve the foundation for economic development,” he said.