Zambia cuts power as dam level drops
May 28, 2015 Business
AFRICA’S second-biggest copper producer Zambia has cut its power generation by 300MW after water levels in the Kariba Dam, a key source of hydropower, dropped following a prolonged drought, its deputy minister of energy said on Tuesday.Charles Zulu said Zambia planned to reduce its hydropower generation by up to 600MW if water levels continued dropping.
“Our generation capacity is 2,200MW but now we’ve reduced to 1,900 MW,” Zulu said.
More Insight Zambia power firm CEC says restores power supply to mines Kariba dam rehabilitation project, Zambia $294 million package announced to rescue Kariba dam from possible collapse.
“There’ll be massive load-shedding (power rationing) and all of us, including the mines, will be affected,” he told Reuters.
A scorching drought has hit crop harvests across southern Africa, hitting economic growth and threatening to push food prices and inflation higher. — Reuters.