Minister of Energy and Water Development Kenneth Konga of Zambia

Mr Konga said the tripping of the equipment and the subsequent blackout was a protection system to prevent further damage to Zambia's electricity system that could have generously cost the country.
2 billion oil financing deal, Energy Minister Kenneth Konga said on Monday.
Minister Kenneth Konga said on Monday.
Announcing the dissolution at a press briefing yesterday, energy minister Kenneth Konga said the move was meant to ensure that service delivery in the energy sector was enhanced.
And Konga said his ministry would within the next 30 days make an official position on the pricing model for petroleum products in the country.
Meanwhile, Konga said the government has directed Zesco to temporary disconnect the Zambian power system from the inter-connectors in Zimbabwe until the power situation stabilises.
Konga said he was also experiencing load shedding despite being Minister of Energy.
Konga said the load shedding would continue during the peak period, which is between 18:00 and 21:00 hours.
Konga said power blackouts were as a result of the computers tripping to protect inter-connector equipment.
Konga said just like other sectors, some components of the energy sector had been liberalised.
Konga said in order to mitigate the deficit; Zesco was arranging further imports of power from DRC.
But Konga said if there were any pieces of equipment destroyed, then it was regrettable.
Konga said government was still investigating the matter and security wings would find out if it were sabotage.
But Konga said though it was true that the three components were under one, businessmen were free to setup their own power generation companies such as Lunsemfwa and Kalungwishi.
Konga said transmission was a common carrier but world over very few people would invest in distribution and supply because of the attendant challenges.
Konga said it had not been established yet.
Konga said Zambia too had problems because of collapsed towers from Caborabasa to Zimbabwe causing instability in Zimbabwe power system which led to affecting the Zambian power system.
Konga said last year, Zimbabwe experienced several disturbances which affected the system at Kariba North Bank.
Konga said prior to the disturbance on January 19 at 19:38 hours, at Kafue Gorge Power Station four generators were working giving a total generation of 597 mega watts, with Victoria Falls generating 95 mega watts and Kariba North Bank, three machines were in operation giving a total of 473 mega watts.
Konga said according to the log of events in the Zesco national control centre, a high frequency occurred at the Zambian power system and that led to the tripping of some of the generating equipment at Kariba North Bank power station and at about the same time at Kariba South Bank Power Station in Zimbabwe.
And briefing the press later, Konga said on Monday the Zesco national control centre registered a sudden increase in power demand at 19:28 hours.
Konga said to mitigate this deficit, Zesco was arranging further imports of power from the DRC.
Konga said government was concerned about frequent power outages and had since directed the Energy Regulation Board (ERB) to set up a commission of inquiry to establish the cause of the frequent power black outs in the last few days.
Konga said oil marketing firms would from Monday start importing 52 million litres of diesel and 20 million litres of petrol.
and other economic sectors, Energy Minister Kenneth Konga said on Monday.
2 billion to build hydro electric power stations to help solve a power shortage that has hit copper mines and other economic sectors, Energy Minister Kenneth Konga said on Monday.
Konga said the government was developing a plan to streamline its generation and transmission of power, currently the sole responsibility of state power utility Zesco.
Konga said tender documents had also been prepared to accelerate the 120-megawatt Itezhi-Tezhi power project to be developed by Tata Africa Holdings and Zesco.
Mr Konga was speaking during the launch of the Pet bottle for packaging Coca-cola, Fanta, Sprite and Sparletta.
Konga was commenting on recent reports that the countrys Indeni Oil Refinery had run out of crude oil and would therefore cease production until new stocks arrived.
Konga said the government had stockpiled more than 11 million litres of diesel and another five million litres of petrol which will be sufficient for the country for the next three weeks.
Minister of Energy and Water Development Kenneth Konga said the crude oil would be pumped in good time for resumption of operations at Indeni refinery, which would be shut down on September 13 to October 2008 for annual maintenance“The next shipment has already been ordered to arrive during the first week of October this year and the shipment will come in time for the resumption of refinery operations,” Mr Konga said.
Mr Konga said Government would also shorten the interval between shipments to ensure that fuel supply on the local market was not interrupted during the period that Indeni would be shut down for annual maintenance.
Mr Konga said modalities for off-loading of the shares were being developed in order to bring to the board the partner in a quickest possible time.
Mr Konga said Government would also commence the rehabilitation of fuel depots in all the nine provinces and the Ndola fuel terminal.
And Mr Konga said it was necessary to shut down Indeni refinery in September to continue improving its reliability and operational efficiency.
Minister of Energy and Water Development Kenneth Konga said this in a ministerial statement to Parliament yesterday.
Mr Konga said the shipment was expected to arrive towards the end of next week and that this meant that the fuel prices would go down in December 2008 “Of course, the variation in the local prices will also be determined to some extent by how other factors like the foreign exchange rate behave.
Mr Konga said the slump in the performance of the international markets had seen a progressive fall in crude oil prices to the current levels of below US$60 per barrel.
On uniform petroleum prices in the rural areas, Mr Konga said Government was committed to putting in place an incentive mechanism to correct this as stated in the national energy policy.
Mr Konga said the challenge of implementing this mechanism in the past was mainly the lack of adequate storage infrastructure in the rural areas.
Mr Konga said Government had embarked on a programme to increase storage infrastructure throughout the country for strategic petroleum reserves.
Mr Konga said he expected that by the end of the third quarter of next year, the country would have a combined storage capacity at the Ndola fuel terminal, TAZAMA and in the provinces.
Mr Konga said Government had also issued a tender for the rehabilitation of Government bulk petroleum depots in Lusaka Solwezi and Mongu.
Mr Konga said fuel depots in Choma, Chipata, Mansa and Kasama would be subsequently rehabilitated in the 2009 financial year.
Mr Konga said both Indeni Petroleum Refinery and TAZAMA were operating well and adequate stocks of fuel were available.
On the Indeni plant, Mr Konga said Government and its strategic partner in the refinery, Total International, decided to recapitalise the refinery at a cost of US$65 million over a period of five years.
Mr Konga said consumption losses had been reduced from 16 per cent to 10 per cent.
Mr Konga said Government was actively considering the option of modernising and expanding the refinery so that it could meet the demand of the growing Zambian economy.
On electricity, Mr Konga said the rural electrification master plan identified 1,217 growth centres in rural areas countrywide which would be the target for electrification between this year and 2030.
Mr Konga said the master plan aimed at increasing the electrification rate in rural areas from the current three per cent to 51 per cent by 2030He said the total investment to achieve this target was US$1.
Mr Konga said this translated into an annual expenditure of US$50 million which was equivalent to K200 billion between this year and the year 2030.
2 billion to overcome a power deficit, Energy Minister Kenneth Konga said on Monday.
Konga said private developers had been allowed to put up smaller, medium size and large power stations in efforts to overcome a power shortage, crippling the vast copper mines and other economic sectors.
Konga said Africa would be more competitive in the global economy if e-commerce were enhanced.
Energy and Water Development Minister Kenneth Konga has advised potential investors wishing to grow Jathropha and other energy producing crops to work closely with the Energy Regulation Board (ERB.
Konga said government is approaching and expanding the energy industry with a Bird eye view in a bid to bring onboard all the stakeholders.
Energy Minister Kenneth Konga said government is currently working with all stakeholders in the energy including cooperating partners to ensure the project is financed accordingly.
Konga said this during the aural question and answer session during parliamentary sittings which resumed today after it was adjourned indefinitely following the death of the late President Mwanawasa.
Konga said among the alternative forms of energy being encouraged in rural areas that are distant from the national electricity grid are solar, biomass and wind energy among others in order to mitigate deforestation.
Konga is not even ashamed to talk about rural electrification when they cant meet the current electricity needs of the country.
Energy Minister Kenneth Konga said the fuel shortages were also caused by the crude oil supplier in the neighbouring Tanzania which refused to pump 60,000 tons of crude to Zambia after disagreements over 42 million dollars owed by Zambia.
Zambia has ended talks with a unit of Standard Bank after failing to agree conditions for a $1,2-billion oil-financing deal, Energy Minister Kenneth Konga said on Monday.
Konga said negotiations with Stanbic Bank Zambia, a subsidiary of Standard Bank, had ended and the government would soon start talks with another bank to finance the purchase of 1,5-million tonnes of crude oil for the mineral-rich Southern African country.
Konga said negotiations with Stanbic Bank Zambia Ltd.
Energy Minister Kenneth Konga said on Monday.
the sole responsibility of state power utility Zesco.
developed by Tata Africa Holdings and Zesco.
Konga said although INDENI was shut down on Wednesday, there would not be any fuel crisis.
Konga said the ship ferrying the crude oil feed stock had delayed to dock in Dar-es-salaam because of some challenges in paying the supplier.
Energy Minister Kenneth Konga said the project would be a significant boost to the energy capacity of Zambia, which has been experiencing rare blackouts in recent months.
Mr Konga said the introduction of Unleaded fuel on the market would result in less exhausted lead being emitted into the atmosphere, thereby creating a safe and clean environment.
Konga said Zambia, which had been negotiating for a $400 million facility to import crude oil with Rabo Bank of the Netherlands [RABN.
We want a financier for crude oil but we cannot go on negotiating endlessly, Konga said in an interview.
Konga said the government planned to approach the Pan-African PTA Bank, which has been paying for Zambias oil imports since February, to negotiate for possible long-term financing of oil imports.