The Rural Electrification Authority has set aside 594,214,177 for the implementation of rural electrification projects across the 10 provinces of Zambia.
Speaking during a press briefing held in Lusaka today, REA Chief Executive Officer Linus Chanda said the Authority was working towards actualising governments aspirations of making universal access to affordable reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all Zambians by the year 2030.
“The REA Board of Directors at their sitting on 12th January 2024 approved a budget of K592,214,177 for the implementation of forty-eight grid development projects, eight new off grid projects and 64 grid development projects which were carried over from last year” he said.
Eng. Chanda said the projects would electrify 28,389 households, 252 schools, 206 rural health centres, 57 markets, 115 chiefs’ palaces and 39 other public facilities including local courts, police stations, immigration offices, agriculture camps, and national assembly offices.
Eng Chanda said the Authority had decentralised its operations in four regions namely Central, Northern, Southern and Western region.
In the central region, the Authority will undertake seventeen (17) new grid development projects at a total cost of K61,569,826. It would also complete nineteen other grid development projects which were carried over from 2023 costing K56,617,888.
In the northern region, the Authority will undertake eleven (11) new grid development projects at a total cost of K56,186,153 and complete implementing nineteen (19) projects which were carried over from the 2023 workplan a total cost of K105,652,489.
In the southern region, the Authority will undertake eleven (11) new grid development projects at a cost of K34,584,252. In addition, fifteen (15) projects from 2023 costing K68,468,663 will be completed.
In the western region, the Authority will implement nine (9) new grid development projects at a total cost of K32,007,715 and complete Twelve (12) projects costing of k72,061,430 which were carried over from the 2023 will be completed.
The Authority would also undertake eight off-grid renewable energy projects including solar for health, solar for agriculture, solar for markets, solar for chiefs palaces, solar for households, biogas digesters, solar mini-grid network in Nakonde district and expansion of the grid at Kasanjiku mini hydro power station.
The Authority opened regional offices in 2022 to smoothen its operations. In terms of provinces that the regions service, Central region which covers Central, Eastern and Lusaka provinces, Northern region which covers Luapula, Northern and Muchinga provinces, Southern region which covers southern and western provinces. Western region which covers north-western and Copperbelt provinces.
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