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Africa Moyo recently in HWANGE
The second 42km water pipeline connecting Hwange Power Station to the Deka High Lift Pump Station on the Zambezi River has been completed, ensuring the extended Hwange Power Station has adequate water for boilers and cooling, with an extra supply for the local Deka community.
Laying of pipes was completed over 40 days ago, with the water already being used at Hwange Power Station, including at the two brand new units 7 and 8, which were completed recently and are now feeding 600MW to the national grid.
A thermal power station uses a lot of water. While water can be recycled with steam cooled down back to water, there is a need for continual topping up of the pure boiler supply, plus top-up of the water needed in the cooling towers.
In an interview last week, Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) quality and risk engineer Engineer Tungamirai Fambirai said: “We are 100 percent done in terms of the connection of the water line.
“We are only left with civil works like the construction of the valve chambers, but otherwise that line is the one that is supplying water to both the 7 and 8 projects and the existing stages.
“We finished about one and half months ago and what remains is the takeoff points to the community and the designs are already done and very soon we will be tapping off water to the community and also finish off the outstanding works, which is the construction of the valve chambers.”
Three take-off points are set to be provided for the supply of water to the Deka community.
The Deka Upgrade Project is funded from a US$48,1 million line of credit extended by India to Zimbabwe, on the strength of solid relations between the two countries.
Communities along the pipeline’s way from Zambezi River are also expected to benefit from the water, with horticulture projects top of the priorities of many families.
Institutions such as Mashala Primary and Mwemba Clinic are expected to benefit from the water.
Villagers around Chief Whange’s homestead in Chachachunda said they face water challenges and are also expecting to benefit from the water.
The Hwange extension entailed construction of a new 42km, 960mm diameter pipeline from Deka High Lift Pump Station to Hwange Power Station, since the existing pipeline was being fully used for the older six units.
But the plans ensured that the pipeline was big enough and the pumps adequate, to provide extra water for community use.
The Deka Upgrade Project started on October 1 2021, with President Mnangagwa officiating at the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the pipeline in March last year.
Completion of the project confirms President Mnangagwa’s declaration that under the Second Republic, projects would be started and completed on time.
The improved electricity supply across the country following the successful addition of Units 7 and 8 at Hwange Power Station, is expected to accelerate economic transformation.
But those units required the extra water supply so that had to be fitted in and be ready when both units were operating.
More jobs are set to be created in the economy in the mining, agriculture, tourism and manufacturing sectors, in line with Zanu PF’s desire to have more people in employment for the attainment of Vision 2030 of an empowered and prosperous upper middle income society.
Online Reporter