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By Shapi Shacinda

LUSAKA, April 18 (Reuters) - Zambia’s state power utility ZESCO Ltd. has asked copper and cobalt mines to scale down their operations as it plans a 48-hour shut down at a major plant for maintenance, a senior manager said on Friday.

ZESCO senior manager for marketing and public relations Monica Chisela said two generators at the Kafue Gorge Power Station would be shut down for routine maintenance from Saturday morning until Monday.

“During the period of the shutdown, 300 megawatts generation capacity will not be available,” Chisela said in a statement.

“We have written to all our major consumers like the copper mines asking them to reduce their power consumption and production so that there is not too much,” she told Reuters.

Zambia already faces a power shortage and has been rationing power supply to the mining industry since January.

Official data shows that ZESCO generates 1,190 megawatts, short of the peak national demand of 1,400 megawatts.

The state firm expects to increase generation by 660 megawatts by early 2009 from a rehabilitation project which would bring 450 megawatts and an extra 210 megawatts from upgraded machines.

Sam Equamo, the Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) communications adviser, could not immediately say if the country’s largest copper producer would trim its two-day output.

KCM is majority owned by London-listed Vedanta Resources Plc (VED.L: Quote, Profile, Research) and operates the Konkola and Nchanga copper mines, Nkana Smelter and Nampundwe pyrite mine.

Jeremy Allen, the general manager of Bwana Mkubwa mine, a unit of Canada’s First Quantum Minerals (FM.TO: Quote, Profile, Research) said the mine would cope with the two-day power deficit.

Copper mining is Zambia’s economic lifeblood and a major employer a country of 12 million people.

(For full Reuters Africa coverage and to have your say on the top issues, visit: africa.reuters.com/) (Editing by Phumza Macanda/James Jukwey)

 

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