Sadc team to visit Kariba

infrastructure to regional integration and economic development. The Zimbabwe Power Company will host the visiting Sadc team.
ZPC managing director Engineer Noah Gwariro said the delegation was welcome, as it would present opportunities to interact with member states.
The interaction would allow the financially troubled power utility to interact and discuss challenges the utility and country are facing in trying to generate adequate power.
“The delegation will also discuss issues relating to improvements in trade promotions and co-operation in the context of the Southern African Power Pool”, he said.
SAPP is a coalition of regional utilities where each one makes a contribution on a daily basis. Countries facing shortages purchase from the pool of energy resource.
There has been growing need for co-operation and trade promotion in power among Sadc countries most of whom are facing acute shortages of electricity.
For instance, Zimbabwe requires 2 200 megawatts at peak demand, but due to constrained capacity the country is only able to produce a maximum of 1 200MW.
Zimbabwe has not invested in new power generation since independence despite the economy growing exponentially until about 1997 when it went on a downward spiral.
Due to the acute shortage of power Zesa resorts to rolling power cuts and this has forced corporates and individuals alike to resort to expensive options such as diesel generators.
ZPC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Zesa Holdings Group of Companies. It is responsible for the generation of electricity and other energy-related services in the country.
It is composed of five business units, namely the Kariba Hydroelectric Power Station and the Hwange, Bulawayo, Munyati and Harare thermal power stations.
The power utility is currently working on a number of power projects to increase energy production in the country, as it is a major contributor to economic development. Such projects include expansion of Hwange Thermal Power Station Units 7 and 8, increasing output at the Kariba South hydropower plant for a combined 900MW. Revival of the country’s three thermals – Munyati, Bulawayo and Harare – which are operating way below capacity, to optimal capacity would add 310MW to the national grid.
There also is the possibility of developing the Batoka Gorge hydropower project, which can generate 800MW, but a dispute with Zambia over assets following the dissolution of the Central African Power Corporation (Capco) in 1969 has stalled progress on proposed power project.