Zambia has five large power stations, of which four are hydroelectric and one is thermal. A fifth hydroelectric power plant is under construction at Itezhi-Tezhi Dam (120MW) along with a coal powered power station at Maamba (300MW) as of 2015. There are also a number of smaller hydroelectric stations, and eight towns not connected to the national power transmission grid are served by diesel generators.
In 2014 the combined power generation from an installed capacity of 2,396MW was 14,453GWh, of which 91.2% came from hydroelectric plants.[1]
The majority of the plants are owned and operated by ZESCO, the national power utility.
| Station | Capacity (MW) | Generation 2014 (GWh) | Type | Owner | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kafue Gorge | 990 (upgraded from 900 to 990 by upgrading the 6 Turbine Generator Units from 150MW to 165MW each) | 6,666 | dam | ||
| 600 (still under construction up to 750MW. 4 out of 5 by 150 MW generators each commissioned picking power station at 750MW for 3.5hrs a day by design) | 910 | dam | |||
| 720 (upgraded from 600MW to 720MW by upgrading Turbine Generator Units from 150MW to 185MW each) | 3,990 | dam | |||
| Kariba North Bank Extension | 360 | 1,162 | dam | ZESCO | Peaking plant |
| Itezhi-Tezhi | 120 | dam | ZESCO | ||
| 108 | 811 | run-of-river | |||
| Mulungushi | 32 | 198.2 | dam | ||
| Lunsemfwa | 24 | 98.8 | dam | ||
| Lunzua | 14.8 | 3.52 | run-of-river | Upgraded from 0.75MW to 14.8MW in 2015 | |
| Lusiwasi | 12 | 58.69 | dam | ||
| 15 | 73 | Run-of-river | |||
| Musonda Falls | 5 | 20.47 | run-of-river | ||
| Shiwa Ngandu | 1 | 0.71 | run-of-river | ||
| 0.7 | run-of-river | Off-grid | |||
| Station | Capacity (MW) | Generation 2014 (GWh) | Fuel | Owner | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 300 (Another 300 in development) | Coal | Maamba Collieries Limited | Commissioned 2016 [2] [3] | |||
| Ndola HFO | 105[4] | 826 | HFO | Ndola Energy Company | ||
| Zambezi | 2.35 | 2.5 | diesel | ZESCO | decommissioned (off-grid) | |
| Kabompo | 1.55 | 3.01 | diesel | ZESCO | decommissioned (off-grid) | |
| Mwinilunga | 1.5 | 3 | diesel | ZESCO | decommissioned (off-grid) | |
| Lukulu | 1.5 | 2.33 | diesel | ZESCO | off-grid | |
| Luangwa | 1.5 | 2.64 | diesel | ZESCO | off-grid | |
| Shangombo | 1 | 0.74 | diesel | ZESCO | off-grid | |
| Chavuma | 1 | 1.06 | diesel | ZESCO | decommissioned (off-grid) | |
| Mufumbwe | 0.9 | 2.06 | diesel | ZESCO | decommissioned (off-grid) | |
| Nakambala | 40 | biomass | Zambia Sugar |
| Solar power station | Community | Coordinates | Fuel type | data-sort-type="number" style="background-color:#ABCDEF;" | Capacity (megawatts) | Year completed | Name of Owner | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bangweulu Solar Power Station | Kafue District | -15.5117°N 28.4317°W | Solar | 54 | 2019 | Neoen[5] | ||
| Kalulushi Concentrated Solar Power Station | Kalulushi District | -12.7242°N 28.0947°W | Solar | 200[6] | 2024 Expected | Kalulushi Solar Power Consortium | ||
| Ngonye Solar Power Station | Kafue District | -15.5175°N 28.4289°W | Solar | 34[7] | 2019 | Ngonye Power Company Limited | ||
| Serenje Solar Power Station | Chitambo District | -12.7581°N 30.5772°W | Solar | 200 | 2023 Expected | Ultra Green Corporation Zambia Limited[8] | ||
| Zambia Riverside Solar Power Station | Kitwe District | -12.8072°N 28.2364°W | Solar | 34 | 2023[9] | Copperbelt Energy Corporation[10] | ||
| Choma Solar Power Station | Choma District | -16.775°N 27.03°W | Solar | 60[11] | 2025 | Choma Solar Power Plant Limited. | ||
| Itimpi Solar Power Station | Kitwe District | -12.695°N 28.1808°W | Solar | 60[12] | 2024 | Copperbelt Energy Corporation | ||
In March 2022, Chariot Limited of the United Kingdom together with Total Eren of France and Canadian mining giant First Quantum Minerals entered into a partnership to develop a 430MW solar and wind power project in Zambia.[13]