Mining operations in Zambia, Africa’s copper rich nation was sized by half after the country’s power utility Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation undertook a routine maintenance on part of the equipment at one of its key generating hydro stations.

The mining companies, chiefly those that rely on power from the power utility known as ZESCO and through the distributor, Copperbelt Energy Corporation were forced to scale down consumption from the normal 530 MW by switching off non essential loads and maintain normal production after the power supplier, ZESCO shut down two 330 MW generators at one of its key power stations Kafue Gorge.

According to CEC, the key supplier of power to copperbelt mines said that it had asked its consumers to scale down on ‘power load’ to ensure that production at all mines remained stable in view of the load shedding that took away 330 MW from the grid.

Mr Neil Croucher CEO of CEC said that “We asked the mines to reduce on the usage to avoid interruption. So far production went on normally.”

ZESCO over the weekend shut down two generators at Kafue Gorge power station, one of its key generating plants in the Southern African nation to facilitate for maintenance works on generators number one and two.

Ms Lucy Zimba company spokesperson said that the shutdown had resulted in 330 MW excluded from normal national supply of about1, 400 MW.

Ms Zimba said that the power utility was happy that the country and its consumers had adhered to the company’s earlier statement to switch off ‘as many electrical appliances as possible, particularly during peak hours. Kafue Gorge Hydropower station is the country’s biggest power station recently rehabilitated and up rated to 990 MW from the initial installed capacity of 900 MW.

(Filed by Mr Kapembwa Sinkamba SteelGuru Correspondent Zambia)