admin– a development that will see the country saving an estimated 250 MW.
The company’s chief executive, engineer Josh Chifamba told industrialists at the ongoing Zimbabwe International Trade Fair that as part of the utility’s demand side management they will issue about 6 million CFL energy saving bulbs – as the country steps up power saving strategies.
Zesa is currently generating about 1 300 MW against a national demand of 2 200 MW and the establishment of the virtual power plant will reduce the gap between demand and supply.
“In the next three months we are going to issue out about 6 million CFL energy saving bulbs in exchange for the less efficient incandescent light bulbs,” said Eng Chifamba. He added that Zimbabwe in the long term requires new power plants as demand for power continue to increase on the back of increased industrialisation. CFLs last longer, at least 8 000 hours while any incandescent light bulb will only last for 1 000 hours. A VPP is not really a power plant it does not actually exist. It is a power plant of the IT mind, a plant locked in the digital world that can shift from traditional generation to smartgridenabled renewables at will.
It is the aggregation of distributed resources that can be utilised in the same manner as conventional generation. In many cases, the resources are load relief, but can also be other options. Ideally, the dispatch of the VPP would be fully integrated into utility system operations such that it would be transparent to the system operator.”
Currently, to establish a hydroelectric power station or a thermal power station with a production capacity of between 250 and 500 MW costs an estimated US$60 million while the establishment of a VPP only requires just under US$15 million. The establishment of the virtual plant will see Zimbabwe joining the global shift to using more energy saving light bulbs in the light of depressed power generation.
Eng Chifamba added that Zesa had allocated an additional US$5 million towards a project that will see major household power consumers like geysers switching off whenever power demand is high. Zesa is also expecting an additional US$65 million from Government, which Eng Chifamba said would be directed towards maintenance and refurbishment of the existing power station. The establishment of a VPP comes at a time when Government is giving priority to the energy sector giving the private sector an opportunity to participate in power generation. The national energy requirement is about 2 200 MW while on average Zesa is producing about 1 300MW, presenting a deficit of about 900MW.
Online Reporter