Government has engaged Zambia and Mozampique in its quest to end load-shedding and increase electricity supply across the country.
The engagement comes after Zimbabwe is already facing a power deficit, while the power utility Zesa is owed billions in unpaid debts by citizens, state-owned parastatals and enterprises, government departments and local authorities.
Addressing a post-Cabinet media briefing on Tuesday, Energy Minister Zhemu Soda, said the government will approach neighboring countries to import electricity.
He also said the government was in the process of rehabilitating the Hwange Power Plant to maximize electricity supplies.
“There is an increased use of electricity of 300 megawatts in the first quarter of the year. We have noted the increase in demand because of an increase in the housing units. To match the demand as a government, we have put in place mechanisms; for instance, we have approached Zesco in Zambia and we are talking with authorities in Mozambique to help us with the power supplies,” Zhemu
said.
“To also augment our supplies, we have embarked on mid-term projects by approaching private players and we are looking at rehabilitating the Hwange Power Station which is very old. We have already secured the funds. Some of the projects will help to solve the existing gaps between supply and demand as our industry is growing,” he said.
Zimbabwe has seen load shedding for the past decade, which prompted the government to expand the Hwange Power Station to cope with the country’s electricity demands.
The expansion project, which commenced in August 2018 at Hwange Power Station, will result in a third stage being added to the station, with 2 x 300MW units being constructed.
The expansion project will increase Hwange’s generation capacity from 920MW to 1520MW.