Kariba South expansion to begin

WORK to expand Kariba South Power Station is expected to begin this month. When complete, the $355 million project would boost the plant’s capacity to 1,050 megawatts. Kariba Hydro Power Station has an installed capacity of 750MW and as of yesterday, it was producing 550MW according to the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC).

Zesa spokesperson Fullard Gwasira said:
“Shovels should start hitting ground in January. We have already secured the funding and Sino-Hydro has been awarded the tender to undertake the project which should take about three years to complete. If everything goes according to schedule the first unit should be commissioned in 2017.”

A Chinese firm Sino Hydro won the tender for the $355 million project.  The Government secured funding for the project following the signing of a $319 million deal with the Export Import Bank of China few months ago and Zimbabwe is expected to contribute 10 percent of the total cost of the expansion exercise.

The country which has a national power demand of 2,200MW continues to experience electricity shortage due to ageing equipment at its power stations and shortage of working capital to retool, among other factors.

As of yesterday, the country was generating about 1,061MW.  ZPC said that Hwange Power Station was producing 463MW, Harare Thermal Power Station 20MW, Munyati 28MW while Bulawayo Thermal Power plant produced zero.

Over the years, Zimbabwe has experienced a critical power deficit forcing the utility to import electricity from regional utilities such as Cahora Bassa Hydropower Station of Mozambique.

The critical power shortage has been impacting negatively on industrial recovery efforts since 2009 when the economy was liberalised.
The Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries, in its manufacturing survey report released in September said capacity utilisation in local companies was at 39,6 percent compared to 44,2 percent in 2012.

The body attributed the decline in capacity utilisation to power shortage and working capital constraints, among others.  – Business Reporter/The Source.