The country’s power utility, the Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (Zesco) announced on its Facebook page on 19 March that it has signed an Inter-Utility Memorandum of Understanding (IUMOU) with Electricidade De Mozambique (EDM).
The agreement to cooperate on establishing the Mozambique-Zambia Interconnector (MOZA) was confirmed during the 2025 Zambia International Mining and Energy Conference (ZIMEC).
Zesco said this strategic electricity project with EDM is designed to significantly increase transmission capacity within the Southern Africa Power Pool (SAPP).
“The benefits include enhanced regional energy security through cross-border electricity trading to support economic growth in both countries,” the power utility said.
At ZIMEC, Zesco also shared insights on Powering a New Green African Future: Investing in Zambia’s Renewable Electricity Generation to Meet Growing Domestic and Regional Demand.
The company highlighted its “rapid trajectory to diversify our electricity mix, with a targeted addition of 1,000MW of solar electricity by the end of 2025.”
Zambia has a National Electrification Strategy (NES) to help it achieve universal access to electricity by 2030.
This is the third cross-border interconnection agreement entered into by Zambia since January 2025.
Toward the end of February, the country and Botswana committed to establishing an electricity interconnector to assist both countries in reaching higher levels of energy sustainability.
This deal was announced during a bilateral meeting held on the sidelines of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Sustainable Energy Week conference in Botswana held in February.
Zambia’s Energy Ministry confirmed that Minster of Energy Makozo Chikote and Botswana’s Minister of Minerals and Energy Bogolo Kenewendo conferred on the proposal to establish the Zambia-Botswana Interconnector.
The project aims to establish a high-voltage transmission line between the two countries, with the aim of enhancing energy security and facilitating increased electricity trade within the SADC.
Hoping to building on the success of the Kazungula Bridge, the interconnector is envisioned as a vital piece of regional infrastructure, the Zambian ministry stated.
The 923-meter bridge with two border facilities on either side, provides road and rail access between the two countries and spans across the Zambezi River. It was opened on 10 May 2021.
Zambia is hoping this successful infrastructure collaboration will extend to the energy sector.
The Zambia-Tanzania Interconnector Project (ZTIP), backed by the World Bank, will enable Zambia to access more sustainable and affordable energy to power its economy and boost job creation.
A World Bank statement in January explained that the project will benefit existing and prospective users of electricity services in Zambia and throughout the Southern Africa region through improved security of supply and the potential to reduce service costs through increased electricity trade.
The ZTIP forms part of the World Bank’s Regional Energy Transmission, Trade, and Decarbonisation-Southern Africa-Multiphase Programmatic Approach (RETRADE-SA MPA), which aims to improve power trade, climate resilience and low-carbon electricity grid development in the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP).
According to World Bank data, the country’s electricity access rate stood at around 47.8% as of 2022.
Urban areas has significantly higher access (80.3%) compared to rural areas (34%).
While the government is working to increase access, particularly in rural areas, challenges remain, including reliance on hydropower and occasional power outages, the World Bank noted.
Last year, Zambia procured more electricity from South Africa and Zimbabwe and started a net metering campaign to address a more than 1,300MW energy deficit.
The government was also looking to set up generators at designated locations – hospitals, schools, business areas and markets.
Last August, ESI Africa reported that Zambia faced an energy crisis caused by low water levels at its hydropower plants because of a drought which had reduced levels in the Kafue River and Zambezi basins.
Around 85% to 90% of electricity generation in the country comes from hydropower.
Insufficient generation capacity has seen the country implement a minimum of 12 hours of loadshedding daily, with some on social media claiming to not have electricity for up to 21 hours a day.
Demand for electricity has been growing at about 150MW to 200MW per year, the Energy Ministry said previously.
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