ZERA chief executive officer, Gloria Magombo, said the energy regulator had tightened the screws in its capacity assessment procedures as it had run into problems with the licensed IPPs failing to get off the ground. In 2013, the energy regulator lamented that of the 12 IPPs it had licensed only six were operational. Government opened up doors to the private sector to invest in energy through the Energy Policy and expected the IPPs to ease the perennial power constraints.
“The problem is that most IPPs run to you (media) without anything on paper. Our regulatory procedures are standard and strictly followed. When we finally approve an application, we first review before we advertise it in the press. We cannot afford to license projects that are not feasible, it would not only affect the country but us as a licensing authority. So we do our own investigations to verify and interrogate the applications before us,” she said.
“We need assurance from the investor to see if they have the capacity to fund the applied project. We want to protect the country from unscrupulous investments that may never take place,” she said.
The regulatory authority recently licensed 12 new power, including nine IPPs that could generate an additional 3,500 megawatts.
Zesa, the sole power utility, only generates 1,300MW against a national daily demand of 2,200MW.
Post published in: News