Turbine One at the Kafue Gorge Lower Hydro Power Station
Fellow citizens,
The day we all looked forward to is finally here as we set another milestone for our great nation on the development front.
Today we are turning on the light on a dark past and shine it into our future.
We have sacrificed and worked hard to create a better livelihood for our citizens and lay a strong foundation for future generations.
Today I will be commissioning Turbine One at the Kafue Gorge Lower Hydro Power Station. This will bring 150 megawatts of power onto the national grid.
As I turn the switch on, I’m reminded of the many days and nights we spent in the dark as a nation, and the countless business opportunities our people had to forego due to load shedding.
I remember the salons, barbershops, restaurants and welding shops that had to work on rationed electricity and the owners struggled to keep their businesses afloat. You are our heroes. You are the reason my government embarked on investing in and developing the energy sector.
Today I can proudly say load shedding is a thing of the past. We have walked a tough journey together and have overcome the days of darkness. This project has bolstered electricity supply not only in Zambia but in the SADC region as a whole.
When we came into office in 2011, electricity generation stood at 1,600 megawatts. With our developmental drive in full swing, there was increased demand for electricity. In the last 10 years we have increased electricity output by over 1,200 megawatts, from 1,600 to 2,900 megawatts and counting.
The Kafue Gorge Lower Hydro Power station project created 4,000 direct jobs besides opportunities for food vendors, mobile money vendors, local contractors and suppliers.
The project also includes other amenities such as a state-of-the-art secondary school and housing for workers.
I believe we will together transform this country even as we scale up energy production in the next 5 years. Zambia is now set to become a hub of electricity export.
Together we can!
#BuildingZambiaTogether
#Energy #ZESCO
#PoweringTheNation