REA BOARD APPROVES OVER K594 MILLION BUDGET FOR IMPLEMENTATION OF RURAL ELECTRIFICATION PROJECTS IN 2024

 The Rural Electrification Authority -REA- Board of Directors has approved a K594, 214,177 budget for the implementation of rural electrification projects across the 10 provinces of Zambia.

Speaking at a media briefing in Lusaka today, REA Chief Executive Office Linus Chanda said with this budget, the authority will undertake 48 new grid development projects, 8 new off-grid renewable energy projects in 2024 and will complete 64 grid development projects which commenced in 2023.

Engineer Chanda explained that the new off grid renewable projects that REA will undertake include solar for health project, solar for agriculture, solar for markets, solar for chief’s palaces, solar for households, biogas digesters, solar mini grid network at Ntatumbila in Nakonde district and expansion of the grid at the 640kw Kasanjiku Mini-Hydro Power plant in Mwinilunga district.

He has revealed that cumulatively, all projects to be undertaken by the authority will yield into 28,389 households, 252 schools, 206 rural health centres, 57 markets, 115 chiefs’ palaces and 39 other public facilities that include local courts, police stations, immigration offices, agriculture camps, and national assembly offices.

Engineer Chanda said the project implementation will be done according to the REA decentralized operations in the four regions namely central, northern, western and southern.

By Patricia Male

PHOENIX NEWS