The Mutinondo Luchenene Power Company Limited (MLPC) proposes to develop a hydropower plant (HPP) on the Mutinondo River in Muchinga Province, Zambia. The proposed Mutinondo HPP project will be a run-of-river scheme, designed with storage for daily peaking operations. The plant will have a gross head of 512 m, design discharge of 12 m3/s, generating capacity of 50 MW and proposed annual energy production of 176 Gigawatt hours. Development of ancillary infrastructure associated with the proposed Mutinondo HPP will include electrical transmission lines, new access roads and upgrades to existing roads.

The main objective of the proposed Mutinondo HPP project is to develop and generate clean baseload electricity from a renewable energy source (hydropower), to be fed into the national grid to supplement ZESCO’s energy supply and assist the Government of the Republic of Zambia to meet the country’s existing and future energy demands. The proposed development aligns with Zambia’s energy policies. In accordance with Section 29 of Zambia’s Environmental Management Act, 2011 (Act 12 of 2011) (as amended1) and in terms of Zambia’s Environmental Protection and Pollution Control (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations, 1997 (Statutory Instrument No 28 of 1997)), the project requires authorisation from the Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) before it can be constructed.

MLPC has appointed ACER (Africa) Environmental Consultants (ACER) as the independent consultant to undertake the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA), which is required to obtain an environmental license from ZEMA. This ESIA report will be made available by ZEMA for public comment by Interested and Affected Parties (I&APs), in accordance with Zambian legislation.