ZESCO Limited says implementation of the Sustainable Electricity Supply Southern Division Project (SESSD), is aimed at strengthening power infrastructure while expanding access to electricity.
Government through ZESCO Limited is implementing SESSD project, targeting Central, Eastern, Southern and Western provinces in response to rising electricity demand and growing service needs.
ZESCO is targeting to connect 12,200 low-income households and eligible micro and small enterprises in the four provinces by February 2027.
The project’s access component is expected to support Government’s goal of achieving universal electricity access by 2030 by making electricity connections more affordable for vulnerable and underserved communities.
Speaking during a media tour of project sites in Kabwe District, SESSD Project Manager Eng. Jagger Bwembelo said the project has two main components, namely reinforcement and rehabilitation, and access, which is a subsidy component,.
“Under the reinforcement component, we are constructing substations and transmission lines. For the Kabwe component, we have three substations: Kabwe Main, where we are now, Mulungushi University Substation and Mulungushi Textile Substation,” Eng. Bwembelo said.
“This area where we are, you can see that we have a lot of industries and residential areas. Most of these have historically been supplied from here. Unfortunately, due to constraints, we saw the need to upgrade the substations. By upgrading, we can add more industries to the network. The aim is to contribute to socio-economic growth.”
And ZESCO Corporate Communication Manager, Matongo Maumbi said the subsidized connection component presents an opportunity for more households to access electricity at a lower cost, especially in communities where affordability has previously been a barrier.
“Universal access to electricity by 2030 will only be achieved if more households are connected in a practical and affordable way. This K150 connection fee is a major opportunity for eligible customers in the project areas, including those who qualify under meter separation,” Mr. Maumbi said.
He encouraged people in the identified communities to take advantage of this window and apply for connections.
Meanwhile, Kabwe District Commissioner Lennox Shimwambwa. applauded the power utility for complementing its efforts to enhance universal access to electricity and support President Hakainde Hichilema’s economic agenda.
Mr. Shimwambwa said the access component of the project was particularly important because it would allow more households and small businesses to connect to electricity at a subsidized fee.
“I love the component of access, which will allow our customers to pay a minimum connection fee of K150, covering a large populace, including our colleagues from Kafulamase and other vulnerable communities,” Mr. Shimwambwa stated.
He urged ZESCO to sustain initiatives that will bring reliability and stability to electricity supply countrywide, noting that such projects are critical to industrial growth, job creation and improved quality of life.
“We have been directed by the President to achieve 1,000MW of electricity by the end of the year. Therefore, projects like these speak to actualizing that directive,” he said. “ZESCO is preparing itself through such infrastructure to hold sufficient power when it comes from the source and to be able to distribute it to other areas.”
In Kabwe, the SESSD subsidized electricity connection component is targeting Kalundu, Kafulamase, Kizito, Kamuchanga, Co-operative, Ntase and Shangombe.
