Zambia Moves to Add 2,610MW as Gov’t Meets Power Developers
The Government has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening Zambia’s energy security after Minister of Energy Makozo Chikote held a high-level consultative meeting with 20 Power Developer companies to assess progress on the country’s power pipeline projects.
The meeting was attended by the Head of the Presidential Delivery Unit, Ms Kuso Kamwambi, and the Ministry of Finance Permanent Secretary for Budget, Ms Mwaka Mukubesa. Discussions centred on improving coordination, enhancing communication, and accelerating the delivery of energy projects across the country.
Power Developers reiterated their commitment to completing their respective solar, hydro and coal projects within agreed timelines.
Minister Chikote noted that Zambia is currently experiencing a power deficit exceeding 1,600MW, largely driven by climate-induced pressures on generation capacity. He said the new pipeline of projects, with a combined output of 2,610MW between 2025 and 2026, represents a credible and timely response to the nation’s energy challenges.
The Minister added that the planned additions will exceed Zambia’s current electricity demand and place the country on a clear path towards surplus generation and long-term energy stability. He emphasised the need to expand the national installed capacity beyond the present 3,800MW, as demand has already surpassed 2,400MW and is moving close to 3,000MW.
Mr Chikote called for sustained collaboration between Government and Power Developers, urging them to remain actively engaged throughout the implementation period rather than stepping back after securing Power Purchase Agreements.
He directed technocrats to ensure strong alignment across institutions and to provide timely, transparent updates on project progress. Effective communication, he said, will be crucial to achieving accelerated delivery.
The Minister also stressed the importance of developing a clear roadmap that outlines roles, responsibilities and timelines for both public and private actors. Such a framework, he noted, will strengthen coordination and support the efficient execution of the power pipeline.
Zambia’s increasing generation capacity, supported by strong public-private partnerships, is expected to position the country as a regional electricity hub while advancing national development priorities, including the ambition to reach 3 million tonnes of annual copper production.
During the meeting, Power Developers highlighted several challenges affecting project rollout, such as limited incentives for hydropower development, slow multi-agency land acquisition processes, and delays in statutory approvals and legal reviews.
In response, Minister Chikote assured developers that Government will intervene to address bottlenecks and will consider establishing a one-stop-shop or dedicated task force to streamline approvals, accelerate land clearance and fast-track project execution.
He said the interventions will form part of wider reforms aimed at creating a predictable, efficient and investor-friendly energy sector.
