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Zimbabwe seeks to import

electricity from Zambia

ZIMBABWE ZIMBABWE is in talks with its northwestern growing wheat need more power to irrigate the
neighbour, Zambia, for a possible electricity sup- crop. Wheat in Zimbabwe is grown in the dry
ply deal to make up for an unreliable feed from winter months between May and September, so
South Africa, a minister has said. has to be irrigated.
The South African Broadcasting Corpora- South Africa used to export 300MW to Zim-
tion, cited Zimbabwe’s energy and power devel- babwe but the regional economic powerhouse
opment minister, Soda Zhemu on Thursday is facing a severe shortage of its own, necessi-
(April 21) expressing hope that an agreement tating rolling load shedding. Mozambique sup-
can be reached before the onset of winter in the plied 50MW as well but has not been doing so,
next two months. because, a Zimbabwean official said in March
He said local generation should increase in 2022, the power utility lacks foreign currency
November when one of two coal-fired units to pay foreign suppliers. According to Sydney
being built west of the country is scheduled to Gata, Zimbabwe needs $17mn to pay foreign
come on stream. But before then imported elec- generators, but the central bank has not provided
tricity is necessary. the foreign exchange for that in years.
“We are expecting the first unit which is Unit The Zimbabwe Power Company was produc-
7 to be up and running in November this year ing a total of 1088MW on Thursday (April 21),
and that will add 300MW to the grid,” he told substantially lower than demand of 1,400MW.
the broadcaster. Zhemu said the situation at Eskom, South
“With regards to winter, one of the imme- Africa’s power utility, has forced them to focus
diate solutions to our deficit will be the import on Zambia.
of electricity. In the interim that is what we are He said: “Traditionally we get our imports
resorting to because our first unit which will give from Mozambique and South Africa but we are
us 300MW will be achieved in November, way also in discussions through our power utility
after the commencement of winter.” ZESA, to have some additional capacity from
While electricity usage typically peaks in Zambia. Discussions are now at an advanced
winter because of greater household and busi- stage. We hope that will come through before
ness demand, in Zimbabwe, consumption rises commencement of winter wheat production.” ™
too because that is the period when farmers

P4 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 16 21•April•2022