View source for ZESCO

{{Short description|Zambian national electricity company}}
{{For|the Zambian football team|ZESCO United F.C.}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2015}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2015}}
{{Update|date=June 2014}}
{{Infobox company
| name          = Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation Limited
| logo          = Zesco_Logo.jpg
| type          = [[Public company|Public]]
| foundation    = 1970
| location      = [[Lusaka]], Zambia
| num_employees = 3,600 (2007)
| revenue       = US$ 409 million (2017)
| industry      = Electricity Generation and Supply
| parent        = [[Public company|State owned]]
| homepage      = {{URL|https://www.zesco.co.zm}}
}}
'''ZESCO''' (acronym for '''Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation Limited''') is a [[state-owned]] power company in [[Zambia]]. It is Zambia's largest power company producing about 80% of the electricity consumed in the country.  ZESCO represents Zambia in the [[Southern African Power Pool]].

== History ==
ZESCO was formed as Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation Limited by [[National Assembly of Zambia|parliament]] in December 1969. It took over responsibilities from several municipalities and the tree existing utilities: Victoria Falls Power Board, Central Electricity Corporation, and Northern Electricity Supply Corporation.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Makai |first=Eugene |date=2024-08-26 |title=SNAPSHOT IN HISTORY – ZESCO, ITS HISTORY AND THE CURRENT POWER SITUATION |url=https://zambianobserver.com/snapshot-in-history-zesco-its-history-and-the-current-power-situation/ |access-date=2025-03-10 |website=The Zambian Observer |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Operations==
The company operates nine [[hydropower|hydropower stations]] with a potential combined capacity of 2,217.5 [[Megawatt|MW]] and eight small [[thermal power|thermal power plants]] with a combined potential capacity of 11.3 MW resulting in a total of 2,228.8 MW. Due to poor maintenance and substandard practices, these capacities are not achieved.<ref>{{cite report |title=Energy Sector Report 2014 |publisher=Energy Regulation Board, Zambia |date=2015 |url=http://www.erb.org.zm/reports/EnergySectorReport2014.pdf}}</ref>

The company also owns and operates power distribution and transmission lines of 9,975 km.

ZESCO has formed power purchase agreements with private companies that own power plants in [[Zambia]]. It purchases the power produced and feeds is partially into the national grid, with a higher portion resold to neighboring countries. GL Africa Energy provides the national grid through ZESCO with over 105 MW of power under this agreement.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://allafrica.com/stories/201604291134.html|title=Zambia: Ndola Energy Project to Expand|last=Kangali|first=Chatula|date=2016-04-29|work=The Times of Zambia (Ndola)|access-date=2017-07-07}}</ref>

ZESCO owns 40% shares in EL Sewedy Electric Zambia Limited.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=27 April 2022 |title=zesco-receives-2m-dividend-from-el-sewedy-electric |url=https://zambiadispatch.com/economy/zesco-receives-2m-dividend-from-el-sewedy-electric/ |access-date=28 April 2022 |website=zambiadispatch.com}}</ref>

In June 2022, ZESCO signed a 13-year Bulk Supply Agreement (BSA) with [[Copperbelt Energy Corporation]] (CEC) Plc. The power supply limit under the BSA was set at 380MW. ZESCO projects that they will earn an estimated US$150.0 million per annum from the agreement. These earnings are expected to translate into an estimated US$2.0 billion over the lifetime of the BSA.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=11 July 2022 |title=zesco-to-earn-2bn-from-cec-deal |url=http://www.daily-mail.co.zm/zesco-to-earn-2bn-from-cec-deal/ |url-status=dead |access-date=13 July 2022 |website=daily-mail.co.zm}}</ref>

In July 2022, at the 94th [https://acsz.co.zm/ Agricultural and Commercial Show] in Lusaka, the managing director of the National Utility ZESCO, Victor Mapani announced that the company plans to deploy [[Electric vehicle|Electric Vehicle]] [[EV charging|(EV) charging]] stations across the country in an effort to accelerate and promote the transition to EVs and enhance carbon emission reduction.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kalonda |first=Fanny |date=30 July 2022 |title=zesco-to-deploy-ev-charging-stations-in-many-towns-mapani |url=https://zambianobserver.com/zesco-to-deploy-ev-charging-stations-in-many-towns-mapani/ |access-date=31 July 2022 |website=zambianobserver.com}}</ref> But has made no forward effort to this commitment.{{Citation needed|date=February 2025}}

In November 2024, nation-wide [[Power outage|blackouts]] occurred.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Mwarumbwa |first=Danai |date=2024-11-28 |title=More power setbacks for Zambia, Zimbabwe |url=https://www.cajnewsafrica.com/2024/11/28/more-power-setbacks-for-zambia-zimbabwe/ |access-date=2025-01-09 |website=CAJ News Africa |language=en-US}}</ref> Although the power was restored the next day, ZESCO struggled to keep up with the electricity demands in Zambia and [[Zimbabwe]].

==Power stations==
{{Further|List of power stations in Zambia}}
*[[Kafue Gorge Lower Power Station|Kafue Gorge Lower]], 750 MW
*[[Kafue Gorge Upper Power Station|Kafue Gorge Upper]], 990 MW
*[[Kariba Power Station|Kariba North Bank]], 720 MW
*[[Kariba Power Station|Kariba North Bank Extension]], 360 MW
*[[Victoria Falls Power Station|Victoria Falls]], 108 MW
* [[Itezhi-Tezhi Dam]], 120 MW
*[[Maamba|Maamba Collieries Thermal Power Station]], 300 MW

==Limitations==
The national grid in Zambia only extends to some parts of the country.  For example, it ends {{convert|380|km|mi}} from the Ikelenge area around [[Kalene Hill]] in the extreme northwest, and as of 2008, ZESCO had no plans to provide power to this remote area due to an increase in shareholder allotments. In response, some small-scale private operations have been established such as the [[Zengamina]] 700&nbsp;KW hydroelectric generator.<ref name=NWZDT>{{cite web
 |url=http://www.nwzdt.org/?page_id=22
 |title=Zengamina Hydro Project
 |publisher=North West Zambia Development Trust
 |access-date=2011-12-16}}</ref>  The Energy Regulation Board is encouraging private investment in hydroelectric power generation in view of the power deficit.<ref>{{cite journal
 |url=http://www.erb.org.zm/press/publications/newsletters/NL-2rd-2008.pdf
 |journal=The Energy Regulator
 |year=2008|edition=SECOND
 |title=ERB Approves Zengamina Tariffs
 |access-date=2011-12-16}}</ref>

== See also ==

* [[Economy of Zambia]]
* [[List of Zambian companies|List of Zambian Companies]]
* {{cite news |title=ZESCO to increase electricity tariffs with effect from 1st July 2014 |url=http://lusakavoice.com/2014/06/02/zesco-to-increase-electricity-tariffs-by-24-percent/}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.zesco.co.zm/ ZESCO Official website]

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Electric power companies of Zambia]]
[[Category:Non-renewable resource companies established in 1970]]
[[Category:1970 establishments in Zambia]]


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