19 November 2008
LOAD-SHEDDING will be increased after Zesco switches off power on one of its two lines at the Kariba North Bank power station to facilitate repair works on its 330 kilovolts line.
Zesco public relations manager Monica Chisela said at a media briefing in Lusaka yesterday that the power at the Kariba power station was switched off on Monday night.
Ms Chisela said that owing to the shut down of the line, load-shedding would increase for the next four weeks during the period that the repair works would be carried out.
"Arising from these works, power generation would reduce and increased load shedding would be inevitable until the works are completed," Ms Chisela said.
Ms Chisela disclosed that power was switched off to allow for the construction and design of a new tower at the site.
"The power was switched off on one line, to allow the smooth and safe working environment for the engineering team at the site," she said.
The Kariba North Bank power station generates about 320 megawatts of power, which it supplies to the national grid.
She said the tower being constructed was meant as a solution to the old tower which last year collapsed due to heavy rain.
"The foundation to the tower has been constructed on which the new tower would be set," Ms Chisela said.
She said the Kafue River had to have its course diverted to allow for the construction of the tower.
The power line would be down from November 17 to the December 17, 2008.
She said Zesco was urging all its customers to exercise caution in the way they use power, especially in the coming four weeks that power generation in the country would be reduced.
Ms Chisela also disclosed that the Zambia-Zimbabwe power inter-connector which was switched off in September after some disturbances on the line was last week switched on.
She said the power inter-connector between the two countries was switched on after a series of consultations with the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (Zesa).
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2008 The Times of Zambia. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
