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THE Retailers Association of Bulawayo (RAB) says some of its members have suspended selling refrigerated items due to increased load shedding by Zesa.Last month, the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) said it was embarking on a five-month annual maintenance programme of Hwange and Kariba Power Station that would disrupt electricity generation.
The country’s power imports situation was also subdued in past few weeks due to maintenance works that were being carried at Hydro Cahorra Bassa.
RAB secretary-general Mr Simba Phiri said some of their members had stopped stocking refrigerated products due to increased load shedding.
“It is unfortunate that Zesa has increased load shedding at a time when some of our members had ventured into selling perishables such as fish and chicken. Due to increased load shedding, they have suspended selling such refrigerated items,” he said.
He said the hardest hit by the increased load shedding were butcheries.
“At times we go for between six and seven hours without electricity and as a result of this the hardest hit are the butcheries. Our members can not afford to turn to alternative power back-up facilities such as generators for such longer periods because this is not sustainable,” said Mr Phiri.
Mr Phiri would not be drawn into ascertaining the amount of money their members have lost due to load shedding.
The annual refurbishment programme involves cavitation repairs and generator transformer maintenance at Kariba Power Station.
Work at Hwange Thermal Power Station involves generator transformer replacement and excitation upgrade.
Turbine repairs and major overhaul at the thermal power station’s Unit 5 is expected to start from 7 October to 2 February 2014.
Zesa said it would try to minimise the effect of reduced local power generation with imports.
Zimbabwe has a national demand of 2 200MW. Hwange Thermal Power Station has an installed capacity of 920MW while Kariba Hydro Power Station has 750MW.
As of yesterday, Zimbabwe total power supply stood 911MW with Hwange and Kariba power stations generating 272MW and 500MW respectively while 50MW came through imports.
A total of 89MW came from the small-thermal power stations.
Online Reporter