Kariba expansion to save US$78m yearly

Livingstone Marufu —
ZIMBABWE could save US$6,5 million per month, or US$78 million annually, beginning 2018 if it successfully adds to the national grid the 300MW expected from the expansion of Kariba South Hydro Power Station.

The expansion of the plant, which is being undertaken by China’s Sino Hydro, is 60 percent complete. Locally generated hydro electricity will substitute pricier imports from the region. Zimbabwe presently imports 300MW from South Africa’s power utility Eskom at USc14 per kilowatt hour (kWh).

The need to import power has been occasioned by falling levels in the Zambezi River, which has forced the Zambezi River Authority — a multi-nation administration — to ration water allocated for power generation.

Zesa spokesperson Mr Fullard Gwasira recently said the power utility was prepaying about US$7 million per month for imports from Eskom and Hydro Cahorra Bassa of Mozambique.

“We are each month buying 300MW from Eskom of South Africa at a cost of USc14/KWh. This translates to about US$6,5 million monthly to import power from Eskom. Overall, Zesa is prepaying about US$7 million a month for electricity imports from both Eskom and HCB,” said Mr Gwasira.

Daily national consumption is forecast at 1 400MW in summer and 1 800MW in winter, against average daily national power generation of 956MW last week.

The US$533 million Kariba South expansion project will start feeding power into the grid by December 2017. Secretary for Energy and Power Development Mr Partson Mbiriri told The Sunday Mail Business that the 2018 deadline for all works to be completed will be met.

“To date, all underground excavations have been completed, except for the removal of intakes and outfall temporary protection cofferdams, which is currently in progress.

“Electro-mechanical works are 50 percent complete and some of the major equipment has already been installed at site, including the power house, two 250-tonne cranes, draft tubes stay rings and unit seven spiral casing, constituting the generating components.

“Equipment in transit from manufacturers in China includes: generator transformers, shunt reactors, intake gantry cranes and turbine generator components,” said Mr Mbiriri.

There have been positive spin-offs for local businesses from the project as Sino Hydro has subcontracted five companies offering project support services. More companies will be roped in as the project gains momentum.

Besides expansion of Kariba South, there are several other initiatives being pursued to increase power generation. Sino Hydro will be adding two units at Hwange Thermal Power Station to produce an additional 600MW for the grid.

Zambia and Zimbabwe are jointly pursuing the Batoka Gorge project, which is expected to produce a cumulative 2 400MW upon completion. Independent power producers are also pursuing separate projects, and Zimbabwe targets to generate surplus power in the next two years.