Zambia’s power utility, ZESCO, has signed a 25-year power purchase agreement (PPA) with Lufubu Power Company to procure 163 MW of baseload hydropower from a new plant to be developed on the Lufubu River in northern Zambia.
The Lufubu plant will be connected to Zambia’s national grid via a new 330 kV transmission line from Mporokoso to Kasama, enabling integration into the northern transmission corridor, ZESCO says. The facility could be expanded in line with future demand and is expected to contribute approximately 5% of Zambia’s total installed capacity once operational.
The project is intended to improve grid stability by reducing reliance on drought-prone southern hydropower assets. “By leveraging the northern circuit’s untapped hydropower potential, we are future-proofing our grid against climate variability and aligning with Zambia’s broader ambitions to position itself as a regional hydropower exporter,” says ZESCO’s MD Justin Loongo.
