Hwange Thermal Power Station’s Unit 7 began running on a commercial basis on 27 July 2023 after a successful reliability run following its synchronisation. The unit is now feeding 300MW into the national grid, according to Power China Zimbabwe. Said the company:
Unit #7 of the Hwange Power Station Expansion Project obtained the COD (Commercial Operation Date) certificate, which certifies that unit #7 was officially put into commercial operation at 0:00 on July 27.
Unit 7 is part of the Hwange Thermal Power Station expansion project which costs $1.4 billion. The project includes Unit 8 whose synchronisation was postponed due to technical challenges. Last week, Energy and Power Development Minister Soda Zhemu said Units 7 and 8 were expected to feed 600MW into the national grid before the end of the month.
Zimbabwe has experienced reduced load shedding in some parts of the country lately after months of power disruption. Improved power generation has seen the country’s total output surpass 1,000MW from as low as 300MW in February this year. The Kariba Hydro Power Station, which almost shut down due to low water levels last year, now produces around 500MW.
Zimbabwe has been grappling with power shortages and load shedding for years, affecting businesses and households throughout the country.