Thermal power station resuscitated

Herald Reporters
Harare Thermal Power Station has been resuscitated after operational challenges forced its closure for more than five years.
Zesa was hit by an acute foreign currency shortage and a mass exodus of experienced staff which forced the station to stop operations.
The Harare station was reopened after a huge cash injection and is now producing 20 megawatts of electricity to augment what is being supplied to industries and companies that require an uninterrupted power supply.
Power generation to the potential 80MW that the Harare station used to supply when it operated at full throttle is expected to be achieved as time goes on.
The small margin of increase is, however, expected to reduce load shedding in the industrial and residential areas owing to a current strain on Hwange thermal station, which sustains both.
Zesa spokesperson Mr Fullard Gwasira confirmed the reopening and power output level which is pegged at 20MW a day.
“I can confirm that Harare Power Station is now generating 20MW of power and all the power stations owned by the Zimbabwe Power Company, in Zimbabwe are functioning.
“Total station reliability will be attained as the year progresses and generation at Hwange Power Station is still fragile.
“All the five thermal power stations are running but not optimally, giving us a local current generation of 1 165MW which plays a part in reducing load shedding,” Mr Gwasira said.
On the national grid Hwange leads the roost with a 687MW output followed by Bulawayo with 30MW and Munyati together with Harare contributing 20MW apiece.
They altogether have a potential of producing 1 190MW excluding hydropower stations that have a potential of generating more than 920MW which is sufficient for the nation.
Unfortunately demand still outstrips supply despite all the stations re-opening and load shedding will continue to be implemented at a slightly reduced rate.
Load shedding may, however, be reduced if consumers pay their bills and at the same time implement energy saving measures such as using energy saving lighting bulbs.
Currently more than five million ordinary bulbs are in use and if they are changed it would save 300MW which is more than half what is produced at Hwange station.