By JUDITH NAMUTOWE? –

ZESCO Limited will embark on feasibility studies for the construction of mini hydro power stations in an effort to assess power generation potential across the country.
Zesco Limited managing director Cyprian Chitundu said construction works at the Itezhi-Tezhi mini hydro power plant had now reached around 56 per cent.
The plant was being constructed at a cost of US$231 million and would produce 120 megawatts.
Mr Chitundu said in an interview that the power utility company would work in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance to conduct feasibility studies for the benefit of the private sector and that?discussions were already underway.
“Once this has been done, the Government will hold on to the feasibility study documents which will be accessed by the private sector.
“We are going to target 10 sites around the country and then?pick on five sites that will be very clear and then we will make a plan to invest maybe in the next five years,” he said.?He said one of the challenges facing Zesco Limited was that it had to carry out feasibility studies because the private sector avoided taking risks on investments which they were not certain would bear positive results.
“Investors cannot spend for example US$2 million on a project which they do not know whether it will happen or not, unless they are certain that this project will,” he said.
On the Itezhi-Tezhi power project, he said that the project which was being developed in collaboration with TATA-Africa Holdings and Zesco Limited would increase power supply in the district, thereby leading to better standards of living and improved economic activity.
The Itezhi-Tezhi Power Corporation will be the first power project in Zambia to be implemented under the Public Private Partnership arrangement.