IPPs to add 600MW by end of 2024

Farirai Machivenyika-Senior Reporter

Independent power producers are expected to add an additional 600MW to the national grid by the end of 2024 when some of the projects are completed, Energy and Power Development Minister, Edgar Moyo told the National Assembly yesterday.

He said this while responding to legislators on the current load shedding being experienced in the country.

The minister said the country was experiencing depressed electricity due to a combination of factors that include low water levels at Kariba and technical faults and routine maintenance work at Hwange Thermal Power Station.

“We are experiencing depressed power generation at Kariba Power Station due to the hydrological situation at Kariba Dam.

“At Hwange, Unit 7 tripped two weeks and was also due for Class C checks which are required, so we decided to take it off so we attend to the technical issues and carry out their routine maintenance work at the same time,” he said.

Speaking on the IPPs, Minister Moyo said: “We are banking on our IPPs which are ongoing and can add up to, hopefully by end of next year, 600MW but in terms of power imports we hope it will end by 2025.”

The country requires about 1 850MW during peak periods but is currently producing around 1 200MW.

The new Units 7 and 8 at Hwange have an installed capacity of 600MW while the old Units 1-6 need repowering to improve efficiency.

Kariba Power Station has an installed capacity of 1 050MW, but is currently producing between 250-300MW.