admin
Africa Moyo Deputy News Editor
ZIMBABWE’s quest to achieve energy self-sufficiency has received a major boost following the arrival of some of the critical components required for the US$48,1 million Deka upgrade project that will ensure Hwange Thermal Power Station can get the large amount of pure water needed for its boilers and cooling systems.
The components were being offloaded in Beira yesterday and are expected at Forbes Border Post in Mutare from today, all things being equal. Once cleared at the border, it will take up to three days for the components to be transported to Hwange.
The Deka upgrade is funded from a US$48,1 million line of credit extended by India to Zimbabwe.
Implementation of the project officially started on October 1 last year and is set to be completed by March 31 next year.
The upgrade sees construction of a new 42km, 960mm diameter pipeline from Deka high-lift pump station on the Zambezi River to Hwange Power Station, complete with independent cathodic protection, supply of spare pumps and motors, supply of spares for Deka low-lift and high-lift pump stations, new supervisory control and data acquisition system and field instruments, refurbishment of the Zinwa water treatment plant in Hwange, and provision of three tap off points for supply of raw water to the Deka community, a development bonus.
In March, President Mnangagwa officiated at the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the extra 42km pipeline that will supply water to Hwange Power Station from the Zambezi River.
In a statement yesterday, the Zimbabwe Power Company, which is the electricity generation unit of Zesa Holdings, confirmed it had started receiving “various components for the Deka project”.
To this end, the first batch of 3 555 mild steel pipes being offloaded at Beira is expected to arrive in the country on Friday, while the first consignment of 30 trucks carrying the pipes to Hwange will be cleared at Forbes Border Post this week,” said ZPC.
“This is another achievement which is expected to contribute immensely to the key aspirations of the National Development Strategy and Vision 2030, which is targeted to immensely contribute in achieving energy self-sufficiency.
“To date, a total of US$13,7 million has been invested in procuring local goods and services such as surveys, general civil works, inland transport, pipe laying and jointing, and pipe hydro testing and commissioning, thus, enormously contributing towards socio-economic development.”
The project is being implemented parallel to the expansion of Hwange Power Station where Units 7 and 8 are being added, each with capacity to generate 300MW.
Expansion of Hwange Power Station is now 89 percent complete and it is expected that Unit 7 will be switched on in November.
The Deka project will augment the supply of water at Hwange Power Station, with the coming on board of the two new units which will add 600MW to the national grid.
“ZPC is committed towards energy self-sufficiency by the year 2030, and would like to thank all stakeholders for their sustained support and commitment in a bid to meet all the targets,” said the company.
As part of its corporate social investment, ZPC said it will provide several water outlets along the pipeline so that the communities it operates within can access clean water.
Further, ZPC has a deliberate local empowerment strategy where local communities have been given first priority and employed for this and several ongoing projects to ensure that no-one and no place is left behind.
President Mnangagwa has challenged Zesa to find ways of dealing with electricity supply challenges, which have affected some companies, including mining companies that are yet to be connected to the grid.
The President said the “long backlog for power demand” included new industrial and commercial projects long approved and waiting for power to come on stream.
“One accurate way of measuring the pulse of an economy is through power consumption, especially by corporates.
“This means there is a bright side to the power backlog: it points to growing mining and industrialisation in the economy, and thus an expanding mining and manufacturing sector.
“This, in turn, creates more, better-quality jobs, especially for our youths. It means the measures we have put in place and continue to fine-tune in the economy are paying off handsomely.
“But the power supply stricture could very easily arrest and spoil this positive development,” said President Mnangagwa.
It is hoped that as Hwange Units 7 and 8 near completion while several solar and hydro-electricity projects continue to be implemented, Zimbabwe will soon attain energy self-sufficiency.
At present the six older units at Hwange are only generating around half their design capacity. Once the two new units are generating power, it is anticipated that a major rehabilitation, that will include replacement of parts and even some major equipment, will take place so that the station can generate its expected 1 520MW with all eight units fully operational.
Online Reporter