Online Reporter
Rutendo Nyeve, Victoria Falls Bureau
POWER is slowly pulsing back at Hwange Thermal Power Station as engineers work around the clock to restore operations following a crippling acid ingress incident that knocked out five generating units earlier this month.
The 4 May technical fault sent shockwaves through the national grid, disrupting Units 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6, and slashing output from one of the country’s most vital power sources.
But there’s light at the end of the tunnel.
In a statement on Thursday, Zesa Holdings confirmed that Units 1, 2 and 3 are now back online, pumping out a combined 212 megawatts and expected to reach 260MW by midday on 14 May.
Unit 4 has passed safety and performance checks and is set to reconnect to the grid on 15 May, while Unit 6, which briefly returned to service on 9 May before suffering an unrelated breakdown, is scheduled to bounce back by 27 May.
Despite the hiccups, national output is stabilising. On Thursday, Hwange was generating 920MW, Kariba 400MW and Independent Power Producers chipped in with 41MW, bringing total generation to 1 370MW.
The recovery comes as a huge relief amid rising demand and growing concerns over load shedding. ZESA says the situation is under control but full stability hinges on getting Unit 6 back in action.
