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LUSAKA (Reuters) - Zambia will this year add 210 megawatts (MW) of electricity to the national grid of Africa's top copper producer, and will not see power shortages in 2010 as some had feared, an energy industry official said on Monday.

State power utility, Zesco Ltd said last year the southern African nation faced a power shortage and electricity rationing by the end of this year due to increased demand for power by the country's mining sector.

But Energy permanent secretary Teddy Kasonso told Reuters studies had revealed that extra demand for electricity as a result of new development projects was unlikely to exceed the 210 MW that Zesco would add to the grid this year.

Kasonso said the rehabilitation of the Kafue Gorge power project would add 90 MW to the power generation capacity and the upgrading of Kariba North Bank power station had already added another 90 MW. The remaining 30 MW would be added this year.

"It is unlikely that Zambia will experience a power deficit by the end of this year unless we have a drought," he said.

"However, we risk getting into a deficit situation in the year 2013 if no new generation is brought in," Kasonso said in response to written questions by Reuters.

Zambia generates 1,400 MW of electricity, and consumes about 800 MW during the day, but demand rises to 1,500 MW at peak during the night, according to Zesco estimates.

Zambia's investment promotion agency says several investment pledges are in the pipeline including one from a China's Zhonghui Mining Group, which said it would invest about $3.6 billion in copper exploration and mining over a five-year period starting last year.