MEDIA KEY INSIGHTS | 3 NOVEMBER 2026
270 Tonnes in Transit: Powering Zambia’s Industrial Growth
Last week, Beyond Copper asked how Zambia could capture more value through local manufacturing. This week, two transformers moving through Livingstone bring a practical part of that discussion into focus: the infrastructure needed to power production.
In its 2 November project update, Ever Great Energy Company Limited announced that two transformers, each weighing 135 tonnes, were being transported through Livingstone to its coal-fired power project in Sinazongwe District, Southern Province. The 270-tonne shipment requires specialised transport, route assessments and coordinated planning. Ever Great Energy says construction of the project’s substation and associated infrastructure is underway.
From equipment delivery to electricity supply
Wonderful Group Services and ZCCM Investments Holdings are developing the project through Ever Great Energy. The first phase is designed to provide 300 MW through two 150 MW generating units, with planned total capacity of 600 MW after expansion. ZCCM-IH reported an estimated US$451.7 million cost for the broader first-phase development, which includes the associated coal mine and transmission infrastructure.
The transformers in transit mark progress on equipment delivery. Installation, commissioning and grid connection are the milestones that will show when the planned capacity can start supplying electricity.
What it means for Zambian businesses
A manufacturer deciding whether to add a production line needs to know how reliably it can run. An agro-processor managing cold storage needs to know how much downtime it must plan for. For both, the value of a power project becomes clear when electricity reaches the business reliably and at a cost it can plan around.
Projects like this can also create opportunities before the first unit generates electricity. For local suppliers in transport, civil works, electrical installation and maintenance, this is a reminder to document relevant experience, technical qualifications and safety performance before procurement opportunities arise.
Media Key perspective
Through our work supporting Wonderful Group’s investment communications, we see why it matters to report progress in stages. This week’s figure is 270 tonnes of equipment in transit. As the project advances, the figures that will tell the next part of the story are electricity delivered, local supplier participation and skills developed. For a coal-fired project, reporting on emissions, water use and community impacts also matters.
That is where the project connects to the Grow Zambia Agenda: dependable power that helps businesses produce more, process more locally and deliver consistently to their markets.
Unlock. Engage. Grow.
