The company’s plan to import 100MW will help it ease a power deficit of 560MW.

Zambia Government spokesman Chishimba Kambwili was quoted by Reuters as saying: "Cabinet has explored the option of power-renting from ships docked at sea."

The government is planning to reduce power supplies to mines as the water levels dropped at its hydro-electric projects.

Decline in electricity generation is expected to result in $287m loss for Zesco this year.

Zesco’s 120MW Itezhi-tezhi power station and 150MW Maamba coal-fired plant are planned to be commissioned later this year.

The country is considering plans to build a 150MW hydro-electric plant.

Separately, Zambia and Zimbabwe expect to complete engineering feasibility studies for 2,400MW Batoka hydro-electric project by the end of the year.

Planned to be built on the Zambezi river, the power plant’s installed capacity has been recently expanded to 2,400MW from the initially planned 1,600MW.

Ernst and Young is acting as the financial and legal advisor for the project.