Zambia hydropower energy storage

Why should Zambia diversify from hydropower?

The above review of data and literature shows that Zambia’s system of energy provision had access to an abundant wealth of information as to why it should seek to diversify from hydropower prior to the power outages to 2015 and 2016.

What is Zambia's current energy landscape?

Zambia’s current energy landscape is dominated by hydropower. Large-scale dams, like the Kariba Dam and the Kafue Gorge Dam, have historically been the workhorses of the nation’s electricity grid. While this reliance on hydropower has provided a seemingly stable source of energy, it presents a vulnerability in the face of a changing climate.

How much electricity does Zambia need?

By 2015, electricity demand was 1959 MW, compared with installed capacity of 2411 MW (email sent by an energy officer at the Ministry of Energy on 30 April 2020); average capacity utilisation of Zambia’s hydropower dams only needed to fall below 81% for Zambia to experience power shortages.

Can battery storage be used with solar photovoltaics in Zambia?

The Zambian regulation foresees customs duty and VAT exemptions for most equipment used in renewable energy or battery storage projects. Detailed information is provided in In this section, we discuss the opportunity of battery storage in combination with solar photovoltaics from a financial point of view.

Can hydropower be used in the Zambezi River basin?

With the capacity utilisation of hydropower under threat by El Niño events, particularly in the Zambezi River Basin, Zambia’s system of energy provision needs to consider alternatives and complements not just to hydropower in the Zambezi River Basin, but hydropower per se.

Does Zambia need hydropower?

In recent years, Zambia has been able to improve its electricity supply but remains largely dependent on hydropower. This dependency represents a risk to the security of supply, as evidenced by the return of scheduled load shedding at the end of 2022 until February 2023, due to low water levels on the Zambezi River.