Tata Power's Joint Venture (JV) has commissioned two units of 60 MW each of its 120 MW Itezhi Tezhi hydro Power Project in Zambia. The synchronisation of both the units was completed in January, 2016. The 120 MW Itezhi Tezhi Power Project is situated on the Itezhi Tezhi Dam. The initial purpose of the Itezhi Tezhi Dam, constructed in the 1970s, was to serve as a reservoir for the Kafue Gorge power station. However, due to an acute power deficit in the late 2000s, the Government of Zambia revived its plans to construct a hydro power plant in close proximity to the dam site.
The 120 MW project was, therefore, selected as a viable brownfield solution to address the power shortage in Zambia, and the Itezhi Tezhi Power Corporation (ITPC) was incorporated in 2007. It is a first of a kind public private partnership (PPP) in the power sector in Zambia, and is currently owned by Tata Power and ZESCO, a Zambian power utility, on a 50:50 basis on a 25 year BOOT (Build-Own-Operate-Transfer) concession term. ZESCO is the sole off-taker of power from the ITT power plant.
Tata Power is India’s largest integrated power company with a growing international presence. The company together with its subsidiaries and jointly controlled entities has an installed gross generation capacity of 8,669 MW and a presence in all the segments of the power sector.
