Growing demand could cause power shortages

Southern Africa may experience major power shortfalls by 2007 if urgent measures are not taken to increase electricity generation, regional power regulators have warned. Meeting in Zambia last week the Regional Electricity Regulators Association (RERA) noted that electricity consumption was rising, while power generation had continued to stagnate. According to RERA about 1,200 megawatts of power per year should be generated to keep up with demand. "If trends continue at this rate there may not be power in the region to attract investment. Somewhere we may have to tighten our belts so that, in the end, we attract investment," RERA chairperson Sisesho Simasiku told delegates. He highlighted that power companies had recommended an increase in tariffs to make investments profitable. Zambia's energy minister, George Mpombo, noted that the growing integration of regional economies was expected to attract investment, and that RERA would help to harmonise the rules of power regulation among Southern African Development Community member states. A key concern raised was that the cost of electricity could be too expensive for the poor if the region harmonised tariffs. But delegates said plans were underway to kick-start a major regional hydropower plant drawing its main electricity source from the Democratic Republic of Congo's (DRC) proposed new INGA III to address dwindling electricity supplies. The US $5 billion Western Power Corridor Project (WESTCOR, known as INGA III,) is expected to generate some 3,500 megawatts of electricity upon completion by 2011. Situated on the Congo River about 225 kilometres upstream from the capital, Kinshasa, the initiative is expected to supply power to Angola, Botswana, Namibia, the DRC and South Africa. Fani Zulu of South Africa's power utility, ESKOM, told IRIN the project aimed to provide "affordable and environmentally friendly energy to ensure that economic development in the region is not constrained by shortages in energy capacity." Another major power initiative on the cards involves Zambia, Tanzania and Kenya. A power interconnector, to be built in central Zambia and launched in April 2005, will run through Tanzania to Kenya at an expected cost of US $12 million.