Lunsemfwa Lower Hydroelectric Power Station

Lunsemfwa Lower Hydroelectric Power Station, is a planned 255 MW hydroelectric power station in Zambia. The power station is under development by a consortium comprising Lunsemfwa Hydro Power Company (LHPC), a Zambian independent power producer and EleQtra, a United Kingdom-based financial and development company. The off-taker is planned to be Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (ZESCO), the national electricity utility parastatal company.

Location
The power station would be located across the Lunsemfwa River, in Zambia's Central Province, downstream of the 40 MW Mulungushi Hydroelectric Power Station and the 18 MW Lunsemfwa Hydroelectric Power Station.

Overview
The design calls for generation capacity of 255 megawatts. the power station is planned as a run of river project, without a large reservoir. The gross hydraulic head is planned at 488 m. Three penstocks each with diameter of 2.2 m and 1000 m long, will carry water to three electric generators, each rated at 85 MW. The 1,630 GWh generated here annually are expected to be purchased by ZESCO for integration into the Zambian national grid.

Developers
As far back as 2010, Lunsemfwa Hydro Power Company and InfraCo Africa Limited, planned to develop a power station on the Lunsemfwa River. At that time, a 120 MW project was anticipated at a projected cost of between US$220 million and US$275 million. Eleven years later, a 255 MW plant is planned with InfraCo passing the responsibility to her subsidiary EleQtra. The owner remains LHPC.

Cost and timeline
The cost of construction is reported as approximately US$300 million. Construction is expected to start in 2023 and last approximately three years.