WASHINGTON, May 15, 2012 – The World Bank Board of Directors today approved a US$60 million credit to reinforce the existing electricity transmission network and increase Zesco’s power transfer capacity to Kafue town and the Southern Province. The development objective of the project is to improve the reliability of Zesco’s regional power trade transmission network infrastructure along the Kafue Town – Muzuma – Victoria Falls corridor.

 According to the Task Team Leader of the Project, Bobak Rezaian, the project will have three components. The first phase will focus on replacing the existing 220kV transmission line with a new 330 kV transmission line from Kafue to Livingstone. The upgrade will increase the power transmission capacity to satisfy the growing domestic power demands not only in the Southern Province but also across the border to Namibia and Zimbabwe.

 Complementing these improvements, the second phase involves constructing a new 330/220kV substation in Livingstone and upgrading the two substations at Kafue town and Muzumato. This will create a functioning transmission system which will provide a high level of security and an enhanced quality of supply for the regional power trade. Moreover, the improved system configurations will allow Zesco the capacity to satisfy increased demands at Kafue town.

The third component will focus on project management, training, and environmental and social mitigation.

Reacting to the news, Country Director for Zambia, Malawi and Zimbabwe, Kundhavi Kadiresan said, “Access to electricity is very vital for all round development in Zambia. This project will not only benefit  the people of Southern Province and Kafue  alone,  it will also bring additional revenues for ZESCO through wheeling charges gained from cross-border power trade, enabling Zesco to more actively participate in the short-term energy market.

The picture? Victoria Falls Power Station