The photo is sourced from english.news.cn
The $2 billion project under implementation involves China’s Sinohydro Corporation dealing with installation of the hydropower units, as well as China Exim Bank and Industrial and Commercial Bank of China, which provided 85% of financing. After commissioning the HPP, electricity will be transmitted via a 330 kV transmission line, which is 100 kilometres long, to the substation in Lusaka, the capital of Zambia. Launching of the hydropower plant will allow Zambia to solve its energy shortage problem. According to the estimate of the Zambian Energy Regulatory Council, the capacity shortage in the country was 810 MW in 2020 (no ex post facto evaluations available). Earlier this goal was facilitated by the construction of the 15 MW small HPP Lusiwasi Upper, 700 km from Lusaka, which was complete in 2021.
HPPs still remain the key source of electricity in Zambia. In 2020, hydropower accounted for 85% of generation, while the fossil-based power plants accounted for 13% (with a combined 2% share of bioenergy plants and solar panels), as says Ember research centre. The installed hydropower capacity in the country within 2012-2021 increased by 649 MW, while the capacity of the generators using all other renewable energy sources (RES), increased by 97 MW, according to the estimates of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
Africa is the fifth world region in terms of the introduction rate of new hydropower plants. The share of African countries in the global hydropower capacity increase within 2012-2021 was 3.8% (10 GW out of 270 GW). During that period, this figure reached 66.7% (180 GW) for Asia, 13.8% (37 GW) – for South America, 5.5% (15 GW) and 5.8% (16 GW), respectively, for Europe and the former USSR republics. Less than 5% of the global increase in hydropower capacity during that period came from North America (9 GW) and the Middle East (3 GW).
