Page 18 - AfrElec Week 46 2021

AfrElec POWER AfrElec

Zimbabwe negotiates $310mn

loan with India toward

repairing power stations

ZIMBABWE ZIMBABWE is negotiating a $310mn loan facil- $110mn, while continuing work on six older
ity with India to finance the repair of the Bula- units at Hwange Thermal Power Station will cost
wayo and Hwange thermal power stations, The $300mn, he told The Herald.
Herald reported on Monday (November 15). Ncube, noting that India is a major producer
Mthuli Ncube, Zimbabwe’s finance and eco- and supplier of equipment for coal-fed thermal
nomic development minister, said various other power stations, said Zimbabwe appreciated the
loan facilities were being extended through the country’s support in extending a loan facility.
Export and Import Bank of India to support the
energy sector.
Upgrading the Bulawayo Thermal Power
Station to its installed capacity of 100MW –
from the current average of 30MW – will cost

Zimbabwe to import 400 MW of

electricity from Mozambique

ZIMBABWE ZIMBABWE’S power utility Zesa Holdings while in Zimbabwe the sector’s contribution to
plans to import up to 400 MW of electricity from generation stood at just 1.5%.
Mozambique and Zambia to help end load shed- “This is the lowest [percentage] I have ever
ding and outages that often exceed 12 hours, The come across anywhere in the world,” Gata told
Chronicle reported on Monday (November 15). The Chronicle. “We are importing because the
Demand for power in Zimbabwe peaks at government has been sitting on an implementa-
about 2200 MW during the winter, of which tion agreement for IPPs for over two years now.”
the country produces only 1400 MW, due to The Zesa executive chairman said licensed
limited installed capacity and ageing, unreliable IPPs in Zimbabwe had potential to generate
facilities. 6000 MW, of which 600 MW could easily be
Zesa executive chairman Sydney Gata said in actualised.
an interview that the need to bridge the power Zimbabwe’s main power generation facilities
gap with imports stems in part from the Min- are the 1050-MW Kariba South hydro-electricity
istry of Finance having failed to sign an inde- plant, hamstrung by drought, and the coal-fired
pendent power producer (IPP) implementation 900-MW Hwange Power Station, which has out-
agreement. lived its design lifespan. The $1.5bn Hwange 7
Gata said 20%-35% of electricity imported and 8 expansion project should add 600 MW to
from Mozambique and Zambia came from IPPs, the national grid when realised next year.™

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