Online Reporter
Freedom Mupanedemo, [email protected]
ALL major industrial projects in the country will now be required to incorporate power generation facilities as Government moves to ease persistent energy shortages while accelerating provincial development, a senior Government official has said.
Presidential Affairs and Devolution Permanent Secretary, Engineer Tafadzwa Muguti, said the policy directive means every significant industrial investment must generate its own electricity rather than depend solely on the national grid.
Eng Muguti made the remarks during a recent tour of the 200-megawatt Global union Thermal Power Station under construction in Kwekwe, a flagship project aligned with President Mnangagwa’s national drive to expand power generation capacity.
Zimbabwe’s peak electricity demand stands at about 2 200 megawatts, but supply frequently drops below 1 500 megawatts due to ageing infrastructure and limited generation capacity.
Under the new policy framework, investors in sectors such as mining, manufacturing, agro-processing and heavy industry will be required to establish captive power plants, with options ranging from solar to thermal generation depending on location and resources.
Eng Muguti said the move is expected to significantly reduce pressure on the national grid while also creating employment opportunities for local communities.
Industry analysts have welcomed the policy as a potential relief for the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (Zesa), provided licensing processes are streamlined, although some caution that high capital costs could pose challenges for smaller investors.
“The Government now requires all major industrial projects in Zimbabwe to include power generation facilities,” said Eng Muguti.
He said detailed guidelines defining what constitutes a major project, as well as incentives for developers, would soon be gazetted.
Eng Muguti added that while Government will continue providing policy direction, provincial authorities will be tasked with identifying local resources and ensuring coordinated implementation of development plans in collaboration with districts and local authorities.
“We’ve said that across all provinces, any large industrial project which is happening should come with a power station. We’re following up as the Office of the President and Cabinet to ensure that everyone who is industrialising in the provinces is also building a power plant,” he said.
He said the policy is designed to reduce reliance on existing national power sources and to enhance energy security at provincial level.
Zimbabwe has endured recurring electricity shortages in recent years, forcing the country to import power to cover supply deficits.
Eng Muguti said several power generation projects have been earmarked for Kwekwe District, including a 70-megawatt thermal power plant currently under development and a proposed 100-megawatt facility.
He said the plants will be fuelled by coal sourced from Sengwa in Gokwe, tapping into Zimbabwe’s vast coal reserves.
“Zimbabwe is sitting on one of the largest coal deposits on the continent and as such we should not be struggling for power,” said Eng Muguti.
He also highlighted the deployment of modern technologies at the Global union Thermal Power Station, which he said would drastically reduce water consumption.
“The power station we are seeing here uses 90 percent less water compared to conventional systems. The water consumption has been reduced from about 2 000 megalitres to approximately 200 megalitres,” he said.
