Copper mines expands and power supply shrinks in Zambia

Author: Paul Ploumis
26 Nov 2014 Last updated at 05:37:59 GMT
LUSAKA (Scrap Monster): The Managing Director of the state owned energy provider Zesco, Cyprian Chitundu, stated in Lusaka that, the country will face a marginal oversupply of power, in the year 2015, but the chances are still very low.

Chitundu further stated that, the initiation of copper projects like, First Quantum Mineral Ltd. owned by the  Sentinal Mine, which includes a copper smelter, will increase the consumption rate of energy from next year. The power supplying company depends mostly on Itezhi Tezhi hydro power station as well as the Maamba plant to boost up their production of power by the year 2015. The company provides for more than 90 percentage of the power consumption of the country.

A London based analyst, Patrick Jones stated that, things would get even worse if additional power supply is not provided in the country as the consumption of power by the active copper mines are increasing day by day, and next year is crucial to many of the mines are increasing their production of copper.

Currently, Zesco is negotiating  an electricity supply deal with the First quantum Minerals, a Canada based mining company, which would soon start production in the land of Zambia. The discussion between the companies are regarding 3the payment of power provided by the energy company.