Zambia copper mine power tariffs up 35 percent

Zambia and foreign owners of its copper mines agreed a 35 percent power tariff increase effective January this year, and authorities have warned of possible power cuts to the mines due to a power generator fault. "All the mines have accepted the proposal to raise tariffs by 35 percent and we are just waiting for ZESCO Ltd to sign the agreement. The increase will be with effect from January 1 this year," Copperbelt Energy Company (CEC) chairman Hanson Sindowe told Reuters in an interview on Wednesday. CEC buys power from state power utility ZESCO and distributes it to the mines….(read more)