Minimal load shedding during Christmas: Zesa

Bongani Ndlovu, Chronicle Reporter
THERE will be minimal load shedding during the Christmas festivities after three units that were taken out of service at Kariba South Hydro Power Station to facilitate urgent dam wall rehabilitation works were returned to service.

The taking out of the three units resulted in long hours of load-shedding and there were fears the prolonged loadshedding was going to stretch into Christmas and New Year holidays.

In a statement yesterday, Zesa Holdings said the restoration of the units means additional 345MW of power supply to the national grid.

The restoration of the units means that rehabilitation work remain suspended until the first week of January.

“Zesa Holdings would like to advise its valued customers countrywide that the units that were taken out of service at Kariba South Hydro Power station to facilitate urgent dam wall rehabilitation works have since been returned to service.

The return to service of the units will restore 345Mw of power supply to the national grid thus significantly reducing the power supply gap that had increased load shedding,” read the statement.

Zesa said the rehabilitation works will be temporarily shelved until January 5, 2022.

“Accordingly, there will be minimal load shedding during the festive season, effective 16 December 2021. Consumers are urged to use available power sparingly to minimise effects of shedding.

The inconvenience caused is sincerely regretted,” read the statement.

The development comes as Government has commenced the construction of a 360km electricity transmission project linking Hwange Thermal Power Station and Insukamini Substation in Bulawayo.

The project is part of an on-going US$1,5 billion Hwange Units 7 and 8 Expansion Project, which is 76 percent complete and is expected to add 600MW into the national grid by 2022.

With an installed capacity of 920MW, Hwange Power is the largest coal-fired power station in the country comprising 4x120MW and 2×220 MW units.

The Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) officially commenced expansion works at Hwange Power Station in August 2018, which will result in a third stage being added to the station with 2x300MW units being constructed.

The expansion project will increase Hwange’s generation capacity from the current 920MW to 1  520MW, according to ZPC, which will help address perennial power outages in the country.

At present the country is generating about 1  300MW mainly dominated by Kariba Hydro Power Station producing about 900MW alone, with the deficit being covered by imports from regional producers.

According to National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1), the major key enabler in realising economic growth is electricity supply.

In order to achieve the objective of powering the economy towards sustained economic growth during the Strategy Period, the existing generation capacity will be optimally utilised through upgrading, rehabilitation and maintenance.

During the NDS1 Period, the target is to increase power supply from the installed capacity of 2317 megawatts (MW) to 3467MW by 2025 and constructing an additional 280 kilometres of transmission and distribution network. — @bonganinkunzi