Mining boom warning: Zim power demand set to soar by 40pc by 2030

Patrick Chitumba,Zimpapers Reporter

ZIMBABWE’S mining industry is expected to experience rapid energy consumption growth between 2026 and 2030, which would likely push electricity demand up by 40 percent and petroleum demand by 20 percent, according to Government projections.

Strategic co-ordination between the Mines and Mining Development and Energy and Power Development Ministries is critical to ensure sufficient energy supply to support the growth of the mining sector, in particular, which is a key economic pillar.

Deputy Minister of Mines and Mining Development, Dr Caleb Makwiranzou, said this during the recent 2026 strategic planning workshop for the Ministry of Energy and Power Development held in Kwekwe.

“Between 2026 and 2030, the mining industry will experience rapid energy consumption, with electricity demand growing by 40 percent and petroleum by about 20 percent.

“Strategic co-ordination between our ministries is essential. You cannot really separate the Ministry of Energy and the Ministry of Mines as they are both critical in pushing Vision 2030,” he said.

Dr Makwiranzou said the National Development Strategy (NDS1), which is shifting to phase two starting in January 2026, will require increased power supplies as the country moves towards an upper-middle-income society by 2030.

President Mnangagwa is scheduled to officially launch the National Development Strategy 2 this week, following its approval by Cabinet.

As such, Dr Makwiranzou said between 2026 and 2030, the energy requirement for the sector is expected to grow substantially, adding that there is a need for the country to be ready for that growth.

“Electricity and petroleum will form the backbone of mining. As Zimbabwe intensifies its industrial agenda under Vision 2030, to ensure security of energy, we have to work together as the Ministry of Mines and Mining Development and the Ministry of Energy and Power Development,” he said.

Dr Makwiranzou said petroleum growth is expected to be around 4,5 percent per annum, which will reflect the mechanisation, the haulage, and the diesel-powered operations that will take place in mining.

“We have a macro-economic framework, our Gross Domestic Product growth, which is aligned to Vision 2030, and we expect that, because of this scenario, there will be a growth of at least 4,3 percent,” he said.

Energy efficiency is important because of the need to gradually adopt more efficient smelting, transportation, and electric billing technologies, which will elevate the consumption of electricity or energy in general.

“Smelting and refining will again increase the rate at which we will consume energy, and we have to align with the beneficiaries of that electricity. In fact, this will be in line with the beneficiation strategy,” he said.

Dr Makwiranzou said certain policy implications need to be addressed so that the energy sector moves in an integrated manner as the economy grows in the next five years.

“ZETDC must strengthen grid reliability, particularly in Midlands and Mashonaland Central provinces, where the most power-consuming projects are located.

“Another policy implication is that there is captive and embedded generation. The policies must support captive power, that is, solar, gas, and hydro, within mine sites. These are critical to reduce grid dependence and improve reliability,” he said.

Dr Makwiranzou said one of the policy implications to consider is the regional power trade, and the country’s enhanced participation in the South Africa Power Pool, which will ensure that the country has buffer capacity during peak demand.

“The country’s projected consumption between 2028 and 2030 is expected to see petroleum remaining essential for heavy-duty mining vehicles, drilling, blasting, and logistics.

Petroleum demand is projected to grow from 520 million litres in 2025 to 647 million litres in 2030,” he said.
“This represents a cumulative growth of 24 percent over the period, and this is because we are getting an annual growth of 4,5 percent.”

The key drivers of this demand, Dr Makwiranzou said, will include increased open-pit mining, large-scale operations in coal, iron ore, and lithium, which rely on diesel-intensive equipment.

“The other key driver will be the expansion of road haulage. We are aware that our National Railways of Zimbabwe is going through a transformation era, and persistent limitations in rail transportation will push mining to use road haulage, which pushes diesel consumption,” he said.

“There is a vehicle fleet that is getting old, and the older it gets, the more it will start consuming more petroleum. We also need to consider that.”

To mitigate adverse impacts, Dr Makwiranzou said the country needs fuel standards to be efficient, introduce fuel economy standards for heavy-duty mining equipment, and the need to reduce growth in petroleum usage by 10 percent by 2030.

“We also need to transition to gas; where feasible, transition to natural gas and low-pressure gas substitution is essential in industrial heating and line processes,” he said.

“Revitalisation of NRZ freight operations will reduce mining sector diesel consumption by 80 million litres.”