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Gold/Mining/Energy : Mining News of Note -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: LoneClone who wrote (17585)	4/11/2008 11:41:46 AM
From: LoneClone	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 193983

Zambia to boost power output for copper demand miningweekly.co.za By: Reuters Published: 9 Apr 08 - 21:16 Zambia's power utility Zesco expects to increase generation by 660 MW by early 2009 to meet rising demand from copper mining and domestic consumption, a company official said on Wednesday. "Zesco is in advanced stages of completing the power rehabilitation project which will bring back 450 MW early 2009. This will also bring in an extra 210 MW from upgraded machines," customer services manager Teddie Mwale told a news conference. Three hundred of those megawatts will be available in December, Zesco's public relations manager Monica Chisela told Reuters. Zesco's generation capacity is 1 640 MW, of which only 1 190 MW is currently generated for peak national demand of 1 400 MW, Chisela said. The deficit has forced Zesco to ration power to Zambia's copper mining industry - its economic lifeblood - and other manufacturing industries and households. Zesco is also finalising the development of the Itezhi-Tezhi power station, which will generate 120 MW. The extension of the main Kariba North Bank power station will generate an extra 360 megawatts, Mwale added. He said Zesco had agreed with major retail outlets including South Africa's Game Stores and Shoprite Checkers to start selling power-saving lamps and other appliances to help cut power demand by 150 MW by December. The move comes after the government waived 25% customs duty on imported power saving lamps and appliances and suspended 16% value added tax in March, said Mwale. Mwale said increased power capacity would enable Zesco to meet growing demand in the copper mines to support new projects like the Lumwana copper mine where 160 000 t of copper is expected to be produced from 2009. "We will have enough power to provide all the mines like Lumwana when other units come on stream," Mwale said.