Zambia began importing electricity from South Africa on August 1 at a rate of 218 MW during off-peak hours to mitigate severe power shortages due to reduced hydropower capacity.

The nation faces an electricity deficit exceeding 1 000 MW due to drought conditions impacting hydropower generation at major facilities, including the Kariba hydropower plant, Reuters reports. Hydropower accounts for 75% of Zambia’s installed capacity.

“The Zambian national power utility, ZESCO, has negotiated the procurement of power from Eskom, South Africa, and the Zimbabwe Power Company to cushion the anticipated deficit,” Zambian Energy Minister Makozo Chikote said.

Adding further strain on Zambia’s grid, the Maamba Energy coal-fired power station is scheduled for maintenance at the end of August, which will reduce generation capacity by another 135 MW, Chikote said.

To bolster energy resilience, the Zambian government will soon allow customers to sell excess solar or wind energy back to the grid in exchange for electricity tariff credits, reports Open Zambia

The South African import agreement has enabled the country to stabilise its power supply, ensuring uninterrupted power for critical infrastructure such as hospitals and mines.