•INDENI managing director Maybin Noole (middle) shows Energy Minister Dora Siliya a sample of imported petrol waiting to be tested in the laboratory at the plant in Ndola on Tuesday this week. Picture by CHATULA KANGALI
By CHATULA KANGALI –
THE Government is next year set to put up four temporary Heavy Fuel Oils (HFO) power plants in selected parts of the country to mitigate the current power deficit the country is facing.
Energy and Water Development Minister Dora Siliya said in an interview in Ndola that the four diesel-powered plants would be for a short-term and would only operate for a year.
“We advertised for four diesel powered plants to be put up next year and act as emergency solution for power since we are currently experiencing load-shedding as a result of low water levels in the Kariba dam,” she said.
Ms Siliya said the Government could not invest much in HFO because it was too expensive and that the country could not rely on that.
She said the HFO plants would only last for a year and that the purpose was to help the country continue with the production of goods and services.
Ms Siliya said the country would continue depending on hydro power and solar because the two sources of energy were relatively cheaper to run.
Ndola Energy is the only company that is producing electricity using HFO in Zambia.
Its plant is producing 50 megawatts (MW) of power and it is working on expanding to 100 MW following government directive.
