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Mukudzei Chingwere-Herald Reporter
AS part of ZESA’s strategy to enhance the energy landscape, the company is actively procuring large utility batteries that will significantly bolster the national grid, following the persistent power outages affecting the region.
These batteries, with an output of 600 megawatts, are comparable to the output of the Hwange Unit 7 and 8 units.
On Thursday, ZESA outlined their strategic initiatives to enhance electricity distribution and transmission capacity.
In an interview, ZESA Executive Chairman, Dr Sydney Gata said they have also received offers from 14 companies to manufacture a comprehensive range of equipment crucial for the electricity sector.
The equipment includes power cables, smart meters, parabolic troughs, PV solar panels, lithium ion batteries, inverters and energy storage products, and heavy-duty electric vehicles.
“This industry has no short-term opportunities for its primary infrastructure. It takes a long-time to build this kind of primary infrastructure. When the stability is restored in my opinion it is almost forever,” said Dr Gata.
“We are procuring batteries, utility batteries, these are very big batteries which we need, they have an immediate impact when they are delivered. They will be worth 600MW of battery storage, and 600MW is the size of Hwange 7 and 8 so that is big”.
He said the batteries serve three purposes: mitigating load shedding faster than anything else, stabilising the network by their nature, and storing the intermittent output of solar and wind renewable energy.
“As we go forward there will be less and less of confined power plants, with more and more of wind and solar and those technologies need battery storage support so that’s why it makes sense to have these batteries now,” said Dr Gata.
He emphasised the company’s commitment to using its own electricity rather than relying on fuel.
“We will be assembling our own trucks here in this country through a special purpose vehicle.”
Dr Gata also revealed an exciting partnership with Dinson Iron and Steel Company of Manhize, noting Zesa’s significant demand for steel in constructing transmission infrastructure.
“We have offers from 14 different companies that will manufacture a whole range of equipment, almost 100 percent of what we use in the distribution and transmission sector,” said Dr Gata. “You are talking about power cables, smart meters, parabolic trough, PV solar panels, the manufacture of lithium ion batteries, the manufacture of inverters and other energy storage products, and the manufacture of heavy-duty electric vehicles.
“We shall be getting steel under a partnership agreement with Dinson, where we shall be agents for all the steel that goes into the electricity in Southern Africa.”
This partnership will provide steel at approximately 40 percent cheaper than present market prices, a crucial component of Zesa’s cost-saving strategy.
“Manhize steel will come to us because we are a huge consumer of steel. If you look at those huge steel towers that form our transmission infrastructure, distribution poles, lighting poles and other applications,” said Dr Gata.
“We shall be getting steel under a partnership agreement with Dinson where we shall be agents for all the steel that goes into the electricity grids in Southern Africa.
“This is a very privileged opportunity that we have signed up for, that is steel is coming up to us at something like 40 percent cheaper than normal prices so that is a very important anchor of our strategy.”
The energy industry was not about short-term gains but rather the establishment of robust primary infrastructure.
“When stability is restored, it is almost forever,” Dr Gata said, emphasising the long-term nature of such projects.
As ZESA moves forward, said Dr Gata the emphasis on long-term infrastructure development and the integration of renewable energy technologies would define the future of Zimbabwe’s energy sector.
The commitment to stabilising the network and mitigating load shedding is a positive step towards ensuring reliable electricity supply for all Zimbabweans.
Online Reporter