“Major electricity supply outage impacts mining operations,” cries Dr. Godwin Beene
Chamber of Mines Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Talent Ng’andwe on ZNBC
By Derrick Sinjela
Zambia Chamber of Mines, a body representing mining and allied companies led by President, Dr Godwin Beene noted with concern the major electricity outage that occurred on Sunday, 8th August, 2021.
Dr Godwin Beene regretted that the power outage adversely impacted the day’s mining operations in the midst of the prevailing Copper bull market, still yearning for more supplies.
Dr. Godwin Beene is Zambia Chamber of Mines President
Though employees across the Chamber membership completed shifts without incident of injury or worse,” Dr. Beene expressed sadness that open pit production in the North-Western Province was adversely affected.
“Chamber member operations there have since returned to normal. For the mining operations in the Copperbelt Province, the standby arrangements of our member Copperbelt Energy Corporation (CEC) successfully kicked in. Emergency back-up supply was extended to all their client mine operators on the CEC network to preserve life, production, assets and infrastructure in the national interest. This is exactly as per the original commercial structure and dedicated network design that has delivered reliability for over fifty years,” Beene’s Tuesday 10TH August, 2021 Chamber of Mines Media Statement read.
Dr. Beene says Chamber membership look forward to the resolution of the uncertain and tense status quo in the electricity sector in general, and around Copperbelt Energy Corporation (CEC) in particular.
Chamber of Mines President Dr. Godwin Beene
“Doing so swiftly will bolster confidence and reduce the perception of risk. The resulting improved energy investment environment will enable strategic back-up base load supply investments such as run of river hydro in the northern watershed region of the country along the Luapula River or a hydro-electric dam at Kabompo to be made,” observed Dr. Beene.
Stressed Dr. Beene: “These can serve as both additional generation capacity and back up supply for the North-Western Province open pit mines that are too large for on-site stand by diesel generator solutions. Additional generation capacity is necessary to meet prospective rises in demand from the mining sector on the much hoped for removal of tax policy impediments to its growth”.
A file photo of a worker stacking copper plates at a plant in Zambia’s copper
