adminZimbabwe Energy Council breakfast meeting this week that they are willing to fund more power projects in the country, especially rural electrification .
The regional bank is currently funding a number of water projects in Harare, Mutare and Chitungwiza as well as the rehabilitation of power utility Zesa’s transmission and distribution infrastructure.
More water projects would be funded in at least six local cities under AfDB’s ZimFund which now totals US$125 million from funding mobilised under the regional bank’s multi-donor trust fund.
In the power sector, the Zimfund is being used for transmission and distribution network reinforcement, Hwange Power Station rehabilitation and attendant environmental issues there.
But Eng Nzabanita said there was scope, under the AfDB’s ZimFund, to provide funding for other key power projects in the country.
To achieve this, the AfDB was engaged in discussions with the Government.
“We are working with the Ministry of Energy (and Power Development) to look for more projects that can be attractive to financiers,” he said.
“In this regard, in our connection with the Rural Electrification Agency, we find they have some good proposals, I hope we can build a pipeline of projects, which we can forward to donors to finance.”
The ZimFund was initially targeted at addressing the country’s challenges in the water supply infrastructure, but was extended to power infrastructure because power was critical for pumping water.
The AfDB this week engaged a contractor to be tasked with installing several big power transformers countrywide and switchgear protection systems to improve system reliability.
On distribution, Eng Nzabanita said a contractor would put up poles to connect power lines in various parts of the country to install about 600 transformers in areas that have water sources.
He added the last bid for the rehabilitation of Hwange power plant was opened a fortnight ago and all were within budget and he hoped the winner would meet all specifications.
He said they would buy big power transformers, install circuit breakers and system control protection while more infrastructure would be built around water pumping stations in the country.
The AfDB this week hailed the Government’s plans to unbundle power utility Zesa Holdings to create a level playing field for more than 15 independent power producers that the Government has licensed.
Online Reporter