Constructed by POWERCHINA, the Kafue Gorge Lower Hydropower Station was commended by Zambian President Edgar Lungu on his Facebook on Oct 4.
President Lungu visited the construction site of the 750 megawatts Kafue Gorge Lower Hydropower Station, located in Chikankata district of Southern province, and gave a complementary speech for the project.
"My Government remains committed to ensure that our country is self-sufficient in grower supply through investments in the energy sector,"said Lungu on his post.
He posted another article on Facebook on Oct 5 to introduce the project. "The construction of power plants on the Kafue River will maintain generation capacity even in years of low rainfall because the same water will be used at three power stations: Itezhi tezhi, Kafue Gorge Upper and Kafue Gorge Lower."
"This project and many others are meant to improve the welfare of every Zambian. More energy production means lower tariffs, more working hours and increased revenue for businesses that depend on electricity."
Lungu also extended his gratitude to the support of Chinese government. The Kafue Gorge Lower power project, which will generate 750 megawatts, is expected to cost about $2 billion sourced from China Export and Import Bank and the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China.
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Zambian President Edgar Lungu speaks highly of the Kafue Gorge Lower Hydropower Station constructed by POWERCHINA on his Facebook on Oct 4. [Photo/powerchina.cn] |
"The project is timely," Facebook commenter, David Namtulo, remarked. "In recent years, the decrease in rainfall has brought great challenges to Zambia. This project has been constructed in a timely manner."
Another Zambian fan of the project, Sebastian Pasoyat, commented, "This is so great! Nowadays, power shortage and power reduction all become history. With the construction of more hydropower stations by our government, we believe Zambia will surely achieve self-sufficiency in electricity supply. "
Proclaiming initial approval of the tremendous energy source, President Lungu attended the groundbreaking ceremony for the project on Nov 28, 2015, and expressed satisfaction with the progress achieved by Sinohydro, a subsidiary of POWERCHINA.
He also mentioned that a technical training school run by Sinohydro has provided all kinds of skills for local workers. The school will be a major asset as his government develops more and more hydropower stations. He believes that the skills learned by local workers in the school will not only be used for future power plant projects but also for their own development.
The technical training school not only fostered skilled personnel needed for the project under construction, but also trained the much-needed personnel for Zambia's engineering construction.
Since the school opened in July of this year, it has conducted two training sessions. Nearly 200 local labors were the first to reap the benefits by gaining the knowledge to improve their skills and enhance their employability.
