malvernmugadzikwa
Business Writer/NewZiana
The massive daily power loss of up to 15 percent have prompted the Government to mull coming up with an Energy Efficiency law to stem the losses, a Cabinet Minister has said.
Based on an efficiency assessment done in July 2020, Zimbabwe is projected to save US$29 million in electricity bills by 2030 from energy efficient and climate-friendly cooling appliances and 290 GWh (gigawatt hours), translating to 290 million KWh.
Zimbabwe’s electricity sector faces major challenges with significant power deficits averaging 400MW.
Most of this month, average power generation hovered around 1 000MW.
Briefing the media post Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting, Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services Minister, Dr Jenfan Muswere, said Cabinet considered and approved the National Energy Efficiency Policy after a presentation by Finance and Economic Development Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube, the chairperson of the Cabinet Committee on National Development Planning.
“The overall goal of the National Energy Efficiency Policy is to institute energy efficiency programmes in order to promote sustainable development as the country transitions to an Upper Middle-Income Society in line with the objectives of Vision 2030,” he said.
“The policy is built on the principles of development, sustainability, affordability, accessibility, gender equity and employment creation.”
The objectives that will be employed to stimulate energy efficiency are promoting and ensuring a comprehensive, integrated and well informed energy efficiency strategy for effective socio-economic development, establishing the roles and responsibilities for implementing various energy efficiency initiatives and interventions in the country and providing a framework for setting targets relating to various energy efficiency interventions in the residential, commercial, mining, transport, agriculture and industrial sectors.
Muswere said the government will develop an Energy Efficiency Act and appropriate regulations, as well as a National Energy Efficiency Strategy and Action Plan to assist in the achievement of low-carbon development modalities and climate-resilient energy efficient systems.
There will also be mandatory energy efficiency audits conducted by approved and certified energy auditors. Minimum energy performance standards and regulations will also be established and developed for selected energy end-users.
“The Government shall mandate intensive energy users, and encourage other industrial users to be certified by a recognized energy management standard such as the Energy Management Systems (ZWS ISO50001), amongst others,” he said.
Bongani Ndlovu