An Energy Expert has described claims by some stakeholders that the Country’s power utility company has no capacity to supply power to Konkola Copper Mines (KCM) as incorrect and misleading.

Yotam Mtayachalo tells Money FM News that ZESCO is the main producer of electricity in the country which supplies electricity to Copperbelt Energy Corporation (CEC) for onwards transmission on an agreement basis to KCM.

“ZESCO is currently also supplying power to the mines in North-Western Province therefore it incorrect for some stakeholders to hold an opinion that the power utility firm has no capacity to supply power to KCM or the mining industry in general,” He added.

“I remember vividly as a union that we also advocated for the termination of the Bulk Supply Agreement (BSA) entered in 1997 between ZESCO Ltd and CEC because in our view it was not in the best interest of the nation because the national power utility used to sell subsidized power to CEC which the latter used to sell to KCM and other mines at a higher cost,” He noted.

He further added that in the past ZESCO used to supply uninterrupted and efficient power to the mining industry through ZCCM power division before privatization of the copper mines and as such some fears being expressed by some stakeholders of potential power disruption to Konkola Copper Mines as the result of the action by CEC are not well grounded.

Mr. Mtayachalo’s comment comes in the wake of calls from stakeholders for Copperbelt Energy Corporation (CEC) to continue supplying electricity to the mines despite its decision to terminate the power supply agreement with Konkola Copper Mines (KCM).