Zambia’s electricity mix is dominated by hydro generations. Large and mini-hydropower stations account for 94% of the installed capacity. Although the total national installed capacity is about 2,400MW, available power has tremendously dropped resulting in a deficit of 700MW. The Zambian government aims to increase the electrification rate from 25% to 66% with 90% for urban and 50% of rural areas.  To achieve this objective, it focuses an extension of the power grid and current large-scale power plants.

The government decision to make industrialisation the key to economic development, Zambia’s need for an alternative source of energy has become more urgent. The Zambian government has signed four memoranda of Understanding with Rosatom of Russia to lay the groundwork to build nuclear power plant in Zambia which it hopes may end the load shedding.

While addressing the parliament on Thursday, Dec 8,2016, President Edgar Lungu announced a bold new energy strategy. Zambia has set out on an economic diversification of energy by involving nuclear energy. It is, therefore, imperative that the country starts thinking away from hydropower generations and pursue other viable options.

The three energy memoranda and one project development agreement with Russia signify the process to develop the capacity in Zambia. The deal, which is not legally binding, sets out a 15-year nuclear co-operation plan, with the eventual goal of constructing a nuclear gigawatt nuclear power plant. In addition, Rosatom will help train Zambian nuclear engineers, develop a nuclear energy regulator, and spearhead nuclear research in the country. Local media estimate the total value of the deal to be $10-billion.

Keeping in mind the country’s energy needs, over the long run, it expects to construct a nuclear science technology centre. This centre would essentially assist Zambia to safely and effectively move into the nuclear industry and allow them to master nuclear technologies and help develop workforce capacity in the nuclear sector.

Along with this, the country is also trying viable options to address its energy deficit. The country. A german company wants to invest $500 million in solar plants. While another group of investors from Italy are looking to set up a nuclear plant in Lusaka- South multi Facility Economic Zone, and two others in the Western and North-Western province.

Developed economies around the world are using nuclear power to drive their growth and it is time Zambia set out on that path.

Large investments are made to boost the grwoth in the energy sector. The ministry of Energy in Kenya has implemented Kenya Elelctricity Modernization Project to increase access to electricity and improve reliability of electricity services.

Project Details: 

Project Location: Kenya

Project Value: US$ 200.00 million

Project status: Active

Project End: 31 Dec 2016

Project Description:

Kenya aims to increase generation capacity by 5,000Mw in 2016 to 2300Mw in 2030. The Government of Kenya is focused on sustaining a stable investment climate for private-sector participation in energy, developing expanded transmission and distribution networks to deliver power to customers, maintaining a creditworthy off-taker, maintaining cost-reflective tariffs, and reducing inefficiency in the sector to support more affordable end-user tariffs.

The important objective of the Kenya Electricity Modernization Project is to:

a) Increase access to electricity

B) Improve reliability of the electricity services

c) To strengthen KPLCs (Kenya Power and lighting Company) financial situation.

The country currently has just under 2200 megawatts of installed electricity generating capacity according to the most recent draft of Kenya’s national energy and petroleum policy, published by its energy ministry.

The country’s electricity demand is set to rise as economic growth ticks up. The demand is being driven by development of industrial parks, growing industries, railway developments etc.

To meet this demands kenya government has embarked on Electricity Modernization Project to increase the transmission distribution and reliability of the energy sources.

For more details follow the below link:

http://www.africagateway.info/sector/Tenders-Energy-Power-and-Electrical