Reuters report that copper mines have agreed a 35 percent power tariff increase effective January this year, and authorities have warned of possible power cuts to the mines due to a power generator fault. "All the mines have accepted the proposal to raise tariffs by 35 percent and we are just waiting for ZESCO Ltd to sign the agreement. The increase will be with effect from January 1 this year," Copperbelt Energy Company (CEC) chairman Hanson Sindowe told Reuters in an interview on Wednesday. CEC buys power from state power utility ZESCO and distributes it to the mines.
The government also announced last week that it and the mining companies would share costs to construct the hydro-electric Kafue Gorge Lower power project, which is estimated to cost around $1 billion and generate 750 megawatts (MW) of power. New IMF funding is also likely to be directed towards energy
ZESCO spokeswoman Monica Chisela separately told Reuters that a broken-down generator at Kafue Gorge had been repaired. "The machine (generator) has now been repaired and re-commissioned. However, we are still in a power deficit situation and rationing of power will continue because we are unable to secure additional imports from anywhere to meet the power demand".
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