Online Reporter
GLOBAL electrical energy demand is soaring and the world is having to adopt new, smart and sustainable power solutions.
One local company’s evolution in Zimbabwe over the past two decades is a useful case on how innovation, resilience and practicality can converge to meet market needs at a national level while complying to globally acceptable, environmentally conscious, friendly and conservative standards.
Incorporated in January 2005, Primus Energy began as a supplier of petroleum energy products; fuels, oils and lubricants serving industrial and automotive sectors, expanding into agricultural equipment supply, maintenance and spares.
To date, the organisation is among the top listed official distributors of Vivo Energy’s authentic Shell oils which are ISO 9001:2015 certified for quality and globally recognised environmental safety concerns. While at it, power shortages, rising operating costs and environmental concerns pushed energy providers to innovate or fall behind.
Primus Energy chose the former and this led to the company’s expansion into alternative electrical backup power which is a reflection of a broader transition underway across energy industries worldwide: moving away from inefficient, high-emission systems toward cleaner, fuel-efficient technologies.
They supply modern generator engines which consume less fuel, make less noise, low emissions and are smart managed by intelligent control systems that optimise performance.
This technology of using advanced controllers such as DeepSea, IntelliLite and SmartGen ensure machines are protected from overspeeding, overheating, under voltage or overvoltage, as well as protecting the machine and load equipment against overloading and dangerous voltage surges or load balance.
Further to it, they synchronise multiple generators to form one unit of power so that power is produced only as needed and in the precise amounts required at any given time during any production cycle.
Such efficiency matters most in industrial and agro-processing environments, where power demand fluctuates dramatically along production lines.
“We had a leading juice-processing plant, which required modest power, say 50kw on startup but ran exponentially higher loads during full production and packaging, going 2000% up to 1000kw.
“In this case, running a 1000kw generator for such a plant will oversupply power wasting fuel and capital while undersupplying power using a 50kw generator cripples output.
“The solution therein lies in synchronised generator systems where multiple units that automatically switch on or off as demand changes are connected in series to run as one unit and share loads” said head of product development Mr Dunmore Mutyambizi.
He who is also the founding Director of Primus Capital Ventures trading as Primus Energy.
He recently won Man of the Year Award in the Energy Sector presented at the Hyatt Regency Hotel by Professor Paul Mavima, the Minister of Skills, Audit and Development.
It’s important to note that the company also won the FYFCZ Most Promising Agro Business Award for 2022 which was presented by the Minister of Agriculture, Dr Anxious Masuka in 2023, at the Zimbabwe Agricultural Showgrounds.
This speaks to a track record of service, innovation, vision and consistency. “Energy supply and innovation is an area where local expertise has become as valuable as imported equipment” he added. Primus Energy’s footprint now extends across industrial, manufacturing, Agricultural infrastructure and public utilities.
Notably, it had a leading role in upgrading systems at the city of Marondera’s water treatment plant which has helped stabilise water supply for a growing urban population.
Similar solutions are visible in leading food processing, beverage manufacturing, and nationwide fast-food chains where uninterrupted power supply is essential to daily operations.
The recognitions have befittingly followed their performance. In 2025, the company had further accolades from industry bodies, entertainment stakeholders who rely on uninterrupted event power and other high demand corporate clients.
Speaking on the numerous awards, which include another one from Ziso Magazine and the high profile excellence legal award from The Honourable Cabinet Summit Awards, a humble Mr Mutyambizi expressed gratitude for the recognitions.
“We got numerous recognitions from our clients, most of whom we served well despite the growing demands which saw us failing a few, here and there. What stands out and gets recognised is the highlight but it’s not all wins. We have learnt a lot and adapted to the challenges.
“We continue to invest in new technology, raising safety standards and skilled manpower so as to grow and maintain service delivery. With our expansion into renewable energy, construction support services and regional consultancy work, particularly in power-constrained neighbouring markets, our growing footprint speaks to our commitment and drive more than just hype.”
With a chuckle, he closed by saying “we look forward to have our earnings reflecting our work since 2024-2025 was quite constrained.”
As Zimbabwe debates its energy future, the lesson is clear: sustainable progress will depend less on grand promises and more on practical, scalable solutions that match real consumption patterns as provided by companies such as Primus Energy.
They are building end-to-end capacity around themselves through equipment produced, installed, maintained and hired out. They look geared to continue powering the economy long after the lights flicker elsewhere.
Mathew Masinge