Zim now saving 20MW daily: Mbiriri

Business Reporter
ZIMBABWE is saving 20 megawatts of electricity per day after adopting the prepaid meter system which has proved to be more efficient, an official has said.The power utility, Zesa, continues to roll out a free installation programme that has so far benefited more than half a million households and businesses.

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Energy and Power Development Patson Mbiriri said a majority of Zimbabweans were now “aware of the need to save power”.

“We’re now saving 20MW of electricity through prepaid meters,” he said.

The system has also helped improve revenue collection for the power utility, which is owed close to $900 million in unpaid debts since the introduction of the multiple currency regime in 2009.

Last year, the power utility successfully rolled out an energy saving bulbs’ installation programme across the country as part of measures to control power consumption.

“Given the power production gap of up to 800MW and the resultant power outages, more needs to be done to conserve power while working on increasing production output in the existing power stations”, said Mbiriri.

Zimbabwe produces about 1,300 megawatts of electricity compared to the 2,200 megawatts of domestic demand.

Hwange Thermal and Kariba Hydro power stations are presently the country’s biggest producers at 600 megawatts and 750 megawatts respectively and are augmented by small thermals, Bulawayo, Harare and Munyati.

Mbiriri said the government was working on replacing old transformers on substations and reported that 20 percent of electricity was being lost to old transmission lines.

He told parliamentarians during the just ended 2015 pre-budget consultation meeting in Victoria Falls that more investment was needed in the energy sector to boost the economy.

Mbiriri reported progress on the establishment of new power plants in Gwayi, Hwange, Batoka Gorge and expansion of Kariba hydro and Hwange thermal stations.

The new projects are already underway and are expected to yield improved production in the next five years.

President Mugabe has said the country would clock the 5,000 megawatts mark when the new multi-million dollar projects are operational by 2020.

At least 13 independent power producers in solar, gas and biomass energy have also been licensed to boost the national grid.