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Zambia — Energy Infrastructure

OverWatts maps 56 energy assets in Zambia across 6 layers — the 84th-largest mapped base of 157 countries. They include 39 power plants, 9 cement plants and 3 coal / uranium mines. Operating generation capacity is 4.6 GW, led by hydro at 89%.

The companies named on the most assets are ZESCO Ltd (9), Maamba Energy Ltd (3) and Chariot Transnational Power (2), counting both ownership and operatorship. Half of Zambia's mapped assets in service predate 2016 (median commissioning year of the 18 with a known date), 9 came online in the past decade and the oldest still listed is Victoria Falls hydroelectric plant, dating from 1936. 35 projects are under construction or proposed, led by Batoka Gorge hydroelectric plant (2.4 GW).

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56
Total assets
#84
of 157 countries
4.6 GW
operating · 39 power plants
35
In construction / proposed

Operating generation capacity by fuel

Utility-scale sites of 100 MW and above. Distributed generation — rooftop solar especially — is outside the tracker, so this runs below national installed capacity.

Electricity generated by fuel · 2024

What the fleet actually produced — distinct from the installed capacity above.

Total 19.7 TWhDemand 16.6 TWhClean 88%Intensity 126 gCO₂/kWhNet exporter 3.1 TWh

Ember · source · CC-BY-4.0

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Browse by asset class

Power grid 5,098 kmPower Plants 39Cement Plants 9Coal & Uranium Mines 3Interconnectors 2Iron Ore Mines 2Chemical Plants 1

Under construction & proposed

Largest assets

Biggest owners & operators

Counts an asset once per company named as its owner or operator; a joint venture counts for each partner.

Frequently asked

How many energy assets does Zambia have?
OverWatts maps 56 in Zambia across 6 asset classes — the 84th-largest mapped base of the 157 countries covered.
How much electricity generation capacity does Zambia have?
About 4.6 GW operating across 8 plants, mostly hydro 89%, coal 7% and oil 2%.
Who owns Zambia's energy infrastructure?
ZESCO Ltd is named as owner or operator on the most mapped assets (9), followed by Maamba Energy Ltd (3), Chariot Transnational Power (2) and Chilanga Cement PLC (2).
What energy projects are under construction in Zambia?
The largest under way or proposed are Batoka Gorge hydroelectric plant (2.4 GW), Masdar Zesco solar farm (2.0 GW) and Green Giant Zambia solar farm (1.0 GW).

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