The Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) has assured wheat farmers of 150 megawatts (MW) of electricity starting this month, an increase from the 100 MW previously allocated for this year’s winter crop.
Sydney Gata, Executive Chairman of ZESA, announced this week that wheat farmers will be exempt from load shedding. He said:
ZESA on the other hand, has been prioritizing power to the winter wheat farmers. Ring-fenced power for these farmers has been increased from 100MW to 150MW starting August 2024. The farmers therefore have been spared from load shedding, except in instances of technical faults.
Furthermore, to increase the reliability of supply, there has been a reinforcement of the network and installation of switch gear for the winter wheat farmers.
Gata said as a way of improving power generation, ZESA is mobilising funds for the installation of 120MW solar plants at productive farms. He said:
As a way of supporting production by farmers, farming load has been prioritised when power generation is not adequate to meet demand.
ZESA Holdings is mobilising financing for the installation of about 120MW of solar power at productive farms.
This will ease the demand from farming load on the system, and at the same time allow farmers to feedback excess energy to the grid.
Gata also revealed that ZESA is currently experiencing a supply shortfall of up to 540 MW during the high-demand winter period.
The average total power supply is around 1,310 MW, while peak demand reaches 1,850 MW, leading to significant load shedding.
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