Power and Energy Sources in Zambia

This post looks at Power and Energy Found in Zambia, their sources and how the country benefits from its Energy resources

• Energy makes things work.
• We need energy for almost everything we do each day. We need energy for lighting, for moving our vehicles, for cooking and heating, and for running machinery and equipment in the kitchen, office, industries and mines.

Importance of Power and Energy

• It has stimulated both small and heavy industries
• The use of Power and Energy has stimulated commercial agricultural activities
• Power and Energy exploitation and exploration have created employment
• It has stimulated demand for electrical appliances
• ZESCO exports power to neighbouring countries and earns foreign exchange

Sources of Power and Energy

There are a number of different sources of Power and Energy in Zambia as shown below in the pie chart:

The majority of people (61%) live in rural areas in Zambia, and their main source of energy is wood. Charcoal and electricity are the main sources in urban areas, while 75% use wood fuel.

All energy sources can be divided into one of two groups.

i. Non-renewable energy source.
ii. Renewable source.

Non- renewable source of power and energy

• Non-renewable energy comes from source that will run out or cannot be replaced for thousands or even millions of years. This includes FOSSIL FUELS (which are coal, crude oil and natural gas) and uranium.
• Most fossil fuels are burned to create energy and electricity. More electricity is generated from coal than from any other fossil fuel.
• CRUDE OIL is a liquid fossil fuel. It is re fined and used in car, aeroplanes and motorbikes.
• NATURAL GAS can be piped into homes and for gas ovens and stoves.
• URANIUM is a non-renewable resource. It is a heavy metal that occurs in rocks. Nuclear energy is created by splitting uranium atoms. The energy is then used to generate electricity.

Coal

The mined coal is used to generate thermal electricity power at a number of thermal power plants in the country.

Crude oil and natural gas

• Zambia has none of its own natural gas or oil reserve.
• Crude oil or petroleum is imported from the Middle Eastern countries and mainly used in the transport industry in Zambia, the agricultural industry, as well as for the generation of electricity.
• Besides takers, an oil pipeline from Dar es Salaam is used to transport petroleum to Ndola.
• There it is refined by the Zambia National Oil company (ZNOC) into petrol, liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), diesel, aviation fuel (for aeroplanes) and kerosene for the Zambian market. There are plans to import oil from Angola.
• In, Zambia the main companies that market petroleum products are: Puma, Total, Petroda, Mobile Engen, Mount Meru and Oddys.

Uranium

• Uranium is used in nuclear power plants to generate electricity.
• Uranium is at this stage it is not being mined in Zambia. It also power plants. However, some of our neighbouring countries renewable energy e.g. South Africa.

Disadvantages of using fossil fuels as energy sources

• Mining crude oil, uranium core damages the environment and also may be dangerous to the health of workers.
• Fossil fuels are non-renewable energy sources. Their supply is limited and they will eventually run out.
• Mining and processing fossil fuels produces harmful waste products, and releases large amounts of pollutants into the air and water system.
• When fossil fuels are burnt, they give off carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas which is the main cause of global warming.
• They also emit sulphur dioxide, which combines with moisture in the air to form acid rain. Acid rain destroys mountains and buildings. It also affects the soil and the crops that grow in it.
• The mines may scar the landscape, particularly if they are open pit mines. Mine dumps destroy the landscape and may give off poisonous gases.
• Burning coal at thermal power stations produces large amounts of pollution, as well as large amounts of solid waste.
• Nuclear power stations could lead to major nuclear disasters if damaged.

Renewable sources of energy and power.

• Renewable energy comes from natural resources that can be replenished, unlike fossil fuels which take millions of years to form.
• This includes sunlight, winds, tide, geothermal heat, water and various forms biomass. Biomass can include biological materials that come from living, or recently living organisms, such as wood, paste and alcohol fuels.

Wood fuel

• Most rural communities in Zambia depend on wood fuel for cooking and heating. Household energy supply in urban areas is mainly based on charcoal.
• Most of the charcoal produced in Zambia is for domestic energy use, especially for cooking. The high demand for wood fuel has resulted in deforestation of many Zambia’s forest ecosystems.
• Charcoal is commonly used in urban areas than wood, as it is easier to transport and produces less smoke and sulphur. Most charcoal produced in rural regions and used in urban areas.

Hydroelectricity

• Hydroelectricity is generated by water. Zambia is blessed with plenty of water resources, which make up 40% of all the fresh water in the southern Africa region.
• Hydroelectric power (HEP) is the second most important energy source in Zambia (after wood fuel). About 10% of the natural energy supply comes from hydroelectricity.
• More than 99% of Zambia’s electricity comes from hydroelectricity.
• Zambia exports power to Zimbabwe, DRC, South Africa Botswana and Namibia and there are plans to export to Tanzania, Mozambique, and Malawi.
• Dam or reservoir stores water
• Water flows in steep slope pen stock
• Fast running water turns turbines
• The turbine turns the generation
• The generator produces electricity which goes in a transformer
• Electricity produced reaches homes

Diagram: H.E.P Production

Advantages of hydro electricity

• It is a renewable resource
• It is clean and does not cause pollution
• It is easily transported through cables
• It has a broad range of uses in modern households and agriculture
• It is cheaper as compared to thermal
• Ease to use, it is a matter of a flick

Disadvantages of hydro electricity

• High cost of building a power station
• It is affected by drought
• It cannot be stirred like petroleum
• Leads to re allocation of people when constructing

There are number of hydroelectric power stations in the country were hydroelectricity is generated. This includes: Kariba north bank power station, Kafue gorge power station, Victoria Falls power station, Lunzua in Mbala, Lusiwasi in Serenje, Chishimba in Kasams, Musonda in Mansa power station. And Shuangandu in Chinsali power station

Government’s effort to increase HEP production

• The itezhi-tezhi hydro power plant project is expected to be completed in February 2015 and the Kafue gorge lower hydro project will be completed in 2017.
• Another new project is the construction of Kabompo gouge project. These new developments will ensure a more constant power supply and make Zambia as regional supply of electricity.

Solar power

• Solar power is a cheap and clean source of renewable energy.
• Solar energy comes from sunlight. Humans have used the sun for thousands of years for heating, removing salt from sea water, and cooking food.

Nowadays the sun can be used to create electricity. This can be done in two ways:

1. Directly by using photovoltaic (PV). PV converts light renege into electricity by photoelectric effect. PV cells can be used to power portable devices such as calculators. Large number of PV cells are put together to create solar panels.

2. Indirectly, by using concentrated solar power (CSO). Concentrated solar power systems use lenses or mirrors and tracking systems to focus a large area of sunlight into small beams.

• Zambia is a very sunny country so solar power has a great potential. Currently, however, solar power is rarely used in Zambia.
• A number of companies have entered the Zambian market to supply and install solar operated equipment’s. These include Muhanya solar limited, Suntech, Davis and Shirtliff and sun beam. Most of them are based in Lusaka.

Wind Energy

• Farmers use wind power to pump water from underground into farm bams.
• Wind mills are the simplest form of wind energy: the wind turns the blade of the wind mill which then drives a mechanical pump. This pump pumps water from underground boreholes
• Wind can be used to generate electricity. Wind turbines are like giant windmills. They convert wind energy to electricity for distribution. The wind makes the rotors rotate, which drives generators produce electrical energy.
• This electricity can be transmitted via a power grid. Using wind to generate Power is not widely used in Zambia. Some farms use wind power to pump water, but there are no wind turbines is Zambia.

Geothermal power

• Geothermal power uses energy stored within the earth.
• Deep within the earth temperatures may reach over 5000 degrees salacious. This heat is called geothermal energy.
• Geothermal power plants use heat from deep inside the earth to generate steam to make electricity.
• They are normally built in areas that have a lot of hot springs, geysers, or volcanic activities, because these are places were the earth is practically hot just below the surface.
• The steam spins the turbine, which is connected to a generator to produce electricity. Then the steam cools off in a cooling tower, condenses back to water and pumped back into the earth for the process to start again.

Biogas

• Biogas is a fuel produced by fermentation of organic matters.
• Biogas is any fuel that comes from decay of organic matters, such as food peelings or manure. Basically, it means rotting plants produce gas, which is then collected.
• Biogas is composed mainly of methane, with some carbon dioxide and other trace gases
• Biogas can be produced by processing waste from livestock (such as dang and uneaten food), food production (such as fruits and vegetable wastes) and effluents from industries as well as municipal waste water treatment plants.
• In Zambia, this source of power production has not yet seen much production.

Companies involved the development of biofuel

1. The biofuels association of Zambia,
2. Copper belt energy cooperation (CEC)
3. Thomro investments limited
4. Black power investments set up a bio fuel refinery plant in Zambia in 2011.