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Zimbabwe’s power utility, ZESA Holdings, has announced that the national power grid is currently facing reduced electricity generation capacity due to a technical fault at Hwange Power Station.
This issue has contributed to widespread power outages, with several areas across the country experiencing more than 24 hours without electricity.
In a statement released on Wednesday morning, ZESA said the situation has been further worsened by low water levels at Kariba Power Station, which have significantly reduced its generation capacity. It said:
<blockquote>
ZESA Holdings would like to advise its valued stakeholders that the national power grid is currently experiencing reduced electricity generation capacity due to a technical fault at Hwange Power Station.
This has been further compounded by low generation capacity at Kariba Power Station, resulting from low water levels.
Our technical teams are actively working to resolve the fault at Hwange to minimize the impact on our customers.
We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience caused.
</blockquote>
While ZESA Holdings announced on Wednesday that the national power grid was facing reduced electricity generation capacity due to a technical fault at Hwange Power Station, just an hour earlier, the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC), ZESA’s power generating unit, had released power generation statistics indicating that Hwange had been consistently generating 874 MW since Monday.
This apparent contradiction—ZESA reporting a technical fault at Hwange, while ZPC maintains that the power station has been operating as usual—has raised concerns about the accuracy and transparency of the power utility’s reports.
Critics suggest that the discrepancy between the two statements could lend credence to claims that ZESA’s power generation statistics may not reflect the true situation on the ground and could be unreliable.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Pindula News

Zimbabwe's power company, ZESA Holdings, says there is less electricity because of a problem at Hwange Power Station. This is causing many places to have power cuts for more than a day. Another issue is that there is not enough water at Kariba Power Station, which is also reducing the amount of electricity being made. ZESA is trying to fix the problem at Hwange to help customers. However, people are worried because another part of ZESA said Hwange was working fine. This has made some people think that ZESA's reports might not be true.

ZESA Blames Fault At Hwange For Increased Load Shedding

Hwange Thermal Power Station’s Unit 7 was reconnected to the national grid on Friday after completing Class C maintenance.
This reconnection restores the 300 megawatts (MW) lost during the past month of statutory maintenance.
During Unit 7’s downtime, Unit 8 served as the primary source of electricity from Hwange. The reduced output from Hwange, coupled with low generation at the Kariba South Power Station, resulted in extensive load-shedding across the country.
Class C maintenance, involving routine inspections and minor repairs during planned outages, is essential for ensuring the plant’s efficient operation. 
This maintenance helps identify and address potential issues before they lead to major failures or unplanned outages.
Energy and Power Development Minister Edgar Moyo expects a reduction in load-shedding as both Units 7 and 8 are now operational, providing more stability in the lead-up to the festive season. He told State media:
<blockquote>
I understand that Unit 7, which has been off the grid for the past few weeks, will be reintroduced on the grid today (Friday).
This means we expect load-shedding to ease as we head into the festive season. Unit 8 will have its Class C maintenance in January or February next year.
This means there will be reduced load-shedding over the next two months.
</blockquote>
Last Friday, Zimbabwe’s power generation stood at approximately 866MW: Hwange contributed 639MW, Kariba 184MW, and independent power producers 43MW. However, with the nation’s peak demand at 1,800MW, this leaves a significant shortfall.
The Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) is refurbishing six older units at Hwange using a US$300 million loan facility from the Export-Import Bank of India.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Hwange Power Station's Unit 7 is back online after maintenance, adding 300MW to the national grid. This helps reduce load-shedding in Zimbabwe. Unit 8 was providing electricity while Unit 7 was offline. The maintenance is important to prevent major problems. The Energy Minister expects less load-shedding during the festive season. Zimbabwe still has a shortage of power. The power company is working to improve power generation.

Hwange Power Station's Unit 7 Back Online, Boosts National Grid By 300MW

Hwange Thermal Power Station’s Units 7 and 8 are scheduled for maintenance during the festive season.
Officially inaugurated by President Emmerson Mnangagwa on August 3, 2023, each unit generates 300 megawatts.
In an interview with <a href="https://www.sundaynews.co.zw/watch-hwange-units-7-and-8-set-for-scheduled-maintenance/">Sunday News</a>, Minister of Energy and Power Development Edgar Moyo explained that this maintenance is planned for the festive season when power demand is typically lower, to minimise the impact on the national power supply. Said Moyo:
<blockquote>
The Class C maintenance for Hwange Units 7 and 8 is set to commence in mid-November and will last until mid-January.
From mid-November to mid-December, we will focus on Unit 7, followed by Unit 8 from mid-December to mid-January.
</blockquote>
Moyo said that power generation fluctuates daily, largely influenced by the operational efficiency of the power stations.
He also said the country is currently facing a deficit of between 350 and 600 megawatts, primarily due to frequent breakdowns at Hwange Units 1 to 6.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Hwange Power Station's Units 7 and 8 will be fixed during Christmas time when less electricity is needed. Each unit makes 600 megawatts. The maintenance will start in November and finish in January. Minister Edgar Moyo said this plan is to avoid cutting off power during high-demand times. He also mentioned that the country needs 350 to 600 more megawatts because the older units keep breaking down. The power station's efficiency affects how much electricity is made every day.

Hwange Units 7 And 8 To Be Serviced During Festive Season

A new 42km, 962mm pipeline to supply water to the Hwange Power Station was commissioned on Monday, August 6.
Hwange Power Station, Zimbabwe’s largest coal-fired plant, draws raw water from the Zambezi River for electricity generation and cooling.
The $48.1 million construction of the pipeline was funded through an Exim Bank of India credit line.
The pipeline will provide water for the expanded Hwange Power Station, including the new Units 7 and 8, as well as the local Deka community.
The Deka Upgrade Project, which began on October 1, 2021, was officially launched by President Emmerson Mnangagwa at a ground-breaking ceremony in March 2022.
The new pipeline runs parallel to the existing one used by the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) to supply the power station and Hwange community, with three offtakes along the way.
The project was handed over to the Zimbabwean government through the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) by an Indian government delegation led by Shri Puneet Kundal, Additional Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, and Indian Ambassador to Zimbabwe Vijay Khanduja.
Speaking at the handover and commissioning ceremony, Energy and Power Development Minister Edgar Moyo said:
<blockquote>
The Deka upgrading project is contributing towards the generation of 600MW more power at the Hwange Power Station through the Unit 7 and 8 Expansion Project.
This project was implemented at a cost of US$48.1 million having been availed through cooperation between the Governments of Zimbabwe and India via the Indian Exim Bank.
</blockquote>
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

A new 42km pipeline was built in Zimbabwe to bring water to the Hwange Power Station. The project cost $48.1 million and was funded by a bank from India. This pipeline will help provide water for the power station and the local Deka community. The project was officially launched by President Mnangagwa and handed over to the Zimbabwean government by a delegation from India. The pipeline will support the expansion of the Hwange Power Station to generate more electricity. This is an important project for Zimbabwe to increase its power supply.

42km Deka Pipeline Commissioned

The Government has started preparatory works for the development of two additional units at the Hwange Power Station to increase the country’s baseload capacity, a senior official has said.
This follows the commissioning of Hwange units 7 and 8 in August 2023, which has helped offset subdued power output at the Kariba South Hydropower station due to low water levels.
In the Budget Strategy Paper 2025, Finance, Economic Development and Investment Promotion Minister Mthuli Ncube said project development activities for Hwange Units 9 and 10 have commenced. He said:
<blockquote>
In this regard, the Government has started project development activities for the development activities of Hwange Units 9 and 10 that will underwrite the country’s base load and energy mix.
</blockquote>
Ncube said through its Project Implementation Agreement, the Government had provided risk mitigation incentives that should boost the bankability of all solar projects implemented through independent power producers (IPPs).
He also said the government will continue investing in mini-hydropower plants, solar projects, and bio-digesters under the Rural Electrification Fund to increase grid capacity.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

The government is planning to build two more units at Hwange Power Station to make more electricity. This will help because the water levels at another power station are low. The Finance Minister said they have started working on these new units. The government is also giving money to help solar projects and other ways to make electricity in rural areas. They want to make sure there is enough electricity for everyone in the country.

Govt Plans To Build Two New Units At Hwange Power Station

Energy and Power Development Minister, Edgar Moyo, has said the planned refurbishment of Hwange Power Station’s Unit 5 is expected to add 160 MW to the national grid, providing a much-needed boost to the country’s power supplies in the short to medium term.
Delivering a Ministerial Statement on the electricity situation in Parliament last week, Moyo also highlighted the planned re-powering of Units 1 to 6, which is expected to be completed within 48 to 60 months.
This initiative is anticipated to eventually restore the capacity of these units to at least 840 MW. Said Moyo:
<blockquote>
Furthermore, the allocation of resources to Hwange Units 1 to 4 and 6, in order to minimise plant downtime on failure, will further alleviate the electricity shortages.
With these developments, prioritising resources for the power station’s key production-related issues is indeed a viable short-term solution.
The re-powering of Units 1 to 6 in 48 to 60 months in the short term will eventually restore the station’s capacity to at least 840MW, which should significantly curtail load shedding and stabilise the power supply for the country.
</blockquote>
Units 1, 3, 4, and 6 at the Hwange Power Station are currently generating a combined output of 380 MW.
Meanwhile, Unit 2 is undergoing statutory maintenance and is expected to be back in service this month.
Unit 5 is currently undergoing a major overhaul, which is anticipated to be completed by May 2025.
The recently commissioned Units 7 and 8, which came online in 2023, are operating stably and generating a total of 614 MW.
The construction of the new Units 7 and 8 was financed through $1.4 billion in loans obtained from Chinese lenders.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

The Hwange Power Station in Zimbabwe is being upgraded to add more electricity to the national grid. The refurbishment of Unit 5 will add 160 MW of power. Units 1 to 6 are also being worked on to eventually reach a capacity of at least 840 MW. This will help reduce power shortages and stabilize the electricity supply in the country. Units 7 and 8 are already online, generating 614 MW. The upgrades are being funded with $1.4 billion in loans from Chinese lenders.

Hwange Unit 5 Refurbishment To Add 160 MW to National Grid - Energy Minister

The Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC), a ZESA Holdings subsidiary, requires US$500 million for the repowering of Hwange Power Station Units 1 to 6, an official at the power utility has said.
The repowering programme is expected to take four to five years to complete.
Addressing members of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Energy who were on a fact-finding mission recently, ZPC general manager Shepherd Mukundu said they have borrowed US$50 million to kick-start the project. He said (via <a href="https://www.sundaynews.co.zw/us450-million-to-repower-hwange-units-1-6/">The Sunday News</a>):
<blockquote>
We are still talking to Exim Bank of India who are going to be the financier for that repowering initiative, it’s going to come in two tranches, one of them is US$310 million and another one US$110 million which was originally meant for Bulawayo Power Station.
So, we have taken it upon ourselves to borrow money from Stanbic, a US$50 million facility to kick-start the repowering process such that when we eventually get funding from Exim Bank of India it will find us somewhere.
But what we would have wanted is to get all the money that we want so that we can then increase traction.
</blockquote>
In addition to about 600 MW being generated by two new units (7 and 8), Units 1 to 6 are producing 420MW at most, according to Mukundu. He said:
<blockquote>
In terms of power generation, our low-hanging fruit currently is the repowering of Units 1 to 6, we are producing 420MW which is not easy to sustain given the conditions of the plant but we thank God that we are doing that capacity currently.
One of the deliverables that we expect to see coming from repowering is increased capacity, increased reliability and also extension of life from 15 to 20 years that is what we seek to achieve in terms of repowering.
</blockquote>
Mukundu also said ZPC has started using its own resources to finance the repowering. He said:
<blockquote>
Our revenues remain subdued compared to critical obligations such as financing operations that include offsetting loans, spare parts purchase as well as the import bill. ZPC requires US$5 million for spare parts that are imported.
</blockquote>
In the first quarter of 2024, Hwange Power Station generated 1 696.4 gigawatt-hours (GWh) of electricity, accounting for 75.4 per cent of the total electricity generated during that period.
This comes as generation from Kariba Hydro-Power Station has continued to decline due to falling water levels in Kariba Dam, attributed to severe drought during the 2023/24 rainy season.
Kariba contributed 19.6 per cent (440.5 GWh), and Independent Power Producers (IPPs) provided the remaining 5.1 per cent.
On 21 June, Hwange was generating 929 MW, Kariba a paltry 292 MW, and IPPs were producing 23 MW.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

ZESA Seeks US$450 Million To Repower Hwange Units 1 To 6

ZESA Holdings said most of the units at Hwange Power Station have been restored to service following “a system disturbance” on Wednesday morning that resulted in the loss of generation.
In an update on the current situation at at the thermal power plant issued this Thursday, the power utility said the restoration to service of most units will result in reduced load shedding. Reads the statement:
<blockquote>
Further to our earlier notice about the system disturbance on the national grid, ZESA Holdings would like to advise its valued stakeholders that most of the units at Hwange Power Station have been restored to service. This will result in an improvement in the magnitude of load curtailment.
</blockquote>
The reliability of Hwange Power Station Units 1 to 6 which were commissioned between 1983 and 1987, has diminished over time, and they are not considered very dependable.
The units experience frequent breakdowns and operate well below their installed capacity of 920MW, which comprises 4x120MW and 2×220 MW units.
In 2023, two new units, 7 and 8 were commissioned with a combined capacity of 600MW.
The Hwange Power Station’s installed capacity is now more than 1 500MW but the current generation ranges from 600MW to 1 000MW.
On Thursday, 14 March, ZESA Holdings’ power generating unity, the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC), said that Hwange was generating 614MW, Kariba was producing 300MW, and IPPs were generating 3MW, giving a total of 917MW.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Hwange Power Station Resumes Electricity Generation

Power utility ZESA Holdings says the national grid experienced a system disturbance on Wednesday morning which resulted in the loss of generation at the Hwange Power Station.
In a statement issued around midday today, ZESA said the system disturbance has resulted in increased load shedding across the country. ZESA said:
<blockquote>
ZESA Holdings would like to inform its valued customers that the national grid experienced a system disturbance this morning at 0938 hours, resulting in the loss of generation at the Hwange Power Station.
This has resulted in increased load curtailment across the country. Our engineers are working flat out to ensure the restoration of service in the shortest possible time.
</blockquote>
Earlier on Wednesday, ZESA Holdings’ power generating unity, the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC), said that Hwange was generating 774MW, Kariba was producing 300MW, and IPPs were generating 31MW.
This means locally generated power is currently less than 400MW against a peak demand of 2 200MW.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

"System Disturbance" Knocks Off Hwange Power Station

The Minister of Energy and Power Development, <a href="https://pindula.co.zw/Edgar_Moyo">Edgar Moyo</a> has said load shedding is set to ease in the coming days with Hwange Power Station’s Unit 7 expected to resume power generation this week.
In an interview with <a href="https://www.sundaynews.co.zw/load-shedding-to-ease-unit-7-back-online-this-week/">The Sunday News</a> on Saturday, Moyo said the reduction of demand due to the closure of industries and schools for the festive season will also result in reduced load shedding.
Unit 7 tripped two weeks before it was due for Class C maintenance resulting in longer power cuts.
In an effort to reduce the time-out, the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) had to combine the inspection and repair works of the actual displacement unit with the Class C maintenance which is set to be completed on Tuesday, 28 November.
Minister Moyo also revealed that Unit 8 would be taken off as it was also due for Class C maintenance. He said:
<blockquote>
Unit 7 will be synchronised this week by Tuesday or Wednesday following the completion of maintenance works.
After a few days, Unit 8 will be taken off the grid for similar maintenance works.
However, we expect to witness reduced demand for electricity as most industries and schools close for the annual holidays.
As such we want to leverage this to maintain this unit but overall, it should translate to eased load shedding.
Actually, one of the units carrying about 80 megawatts came through, another one will be coming through in a day or two’s time with 120MW.
</blockquote>
Speaking to ZTN Prime, recently, Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) Board Chairperson David Madzikanda revealed that the power utility ZESA Holdings was financially constrained to import electricity from neighbouring countries. He said:
<blockquote>
Generation at Kariba is very much depleted largely because of water inflows. Secondly, we have not been able to import as much as we should be, because if we were importing, we would be filling in the gap.
The other reason is that the old power stations which are which are stations in Harare, Bulawayo and Munyati are currently not running. We are almost at the stage of shutting them down.
The other problem has obviously been to do with the fact that Unit 7 (at Hwange Power Station). For those reasons, we have shortages of power.
</blockquote>
Zimbabwe requires 1 850 megawatts per day and on Friday the country was generating 1 285 megawatts, with 41 megawatts coming from independent power producers (IPPs), while Kariba and Hwange were producing 570 megawatts and 674 megawatts respectively.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Hwange Power Station’s Unit 7 Back Online Tuesday, Unit 8 To Be Taken Off For Maintenance

Increased load shedding is being caused by the shutdown of Hwange Thermal Power Station’s Unit 6, it has emerged.
The Unit was shut down for renovations on Friday last week and is expected to be switched back on this Thursday or tomorrow.
Speaking to <a href="https://www.zimlive.com/week-long-hwange-unit-6-shutdown-leaves-zimbabwe-shot-of-power/">ZimLive</a> on Tuesday, a Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) official who preferred anonymity said the Unit will add 150 MW to the grid when reconnected. Said the official:
<blockquote>
We shut down Unit 6 to attend to a problem of vibration. After the shutdown, we allow a cool-off period of about two days before work can begin. We expect to get it back up on Thursday or Friday, regaining about 150 MW.
</blockquote>
Zimbabweans have enjoyed a period of relatively uninterrupted power supply in the run-up to the 23 August 2023 Harmonised Elections.
This was largely attributed to the successful addition of Units 7 and 8 generators at Hwange which added a combined 600MW to the national grid.
Zimbabwe’s peak electricity demand hovers at around 1 800MW with the bulk of the electricity generated at Hwange and the hydro-powered Kariba Power Station.
On Wednesday, 13 September, ZPC was generating 664MW at Hwange Power Station and 925MW at Kariba Power Station to give a total of 1 589MW.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Hwange Power Station's Unit 6 Shut Down

Hwange Thermal Power Station’s Unit 7 first achieved a full capacity output of 335MW at 9:27 AM on Thursday 30th March 2023.
The Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) managed to synchronise the first of two generators on Unit 7 into the national grid on Monday, 20 March after failing to do so several times.
The two generators make up the Hwange Thermal Power Station Unit 7 and 8 Expansion Project being installed under a US$1.4 billion facility from China Eximbank.
Soon after the successful synchronisation of Unit 7 into the national grid, ZPC said power will be progressively fed into the grid until it reaches 300MW.
However, captains of industry said Unit 7 will not meaningfully end the current electricity challenges bedeviling the economy.
Zimbabwe has a national electricity peak demand of between 1 700 and 2 200 depending on the season.
On 31 March 2023, ZPC was generating a total of 678MW, with Hwange producing 311, Kariba, 350, and Munyati 17. Harare and Bulawayo were generating zero.
More: <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/local-news/article/200009522/ed-demands-re-run-in-violence-hotspots">Pindula News</a>

Hwange Unit 7 Achieves 335MW Full Capacity Output

Captains of industry say the successful synchronisation of Hwange Thermal Power Station’s Unit 7 with a generation capacity of 300 megawatts (MW) with the national grid will not meaningfully end the current electricity challenges bedeviling the economy.
Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) president Kurai Matsheza on Wednesday told <a href="https://businesstimes.co.zw/hwange-deal-wont-rid-zim-of-power-crisis/">Business Times</a> that the hope is that the new unit will operate at full capacity consistently. Said Matsheza:
<blockquote>
We hope that it will be on the grid on a sustainable basis and hopefully, it will operate at the capacity of 300MW and if that stands a test of time, this will assist industry and other sectors of the economy though it will not eliminate the power challenges completely.
</blockquote>
Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce president Mike Kamungeremu said the development is welcome. He said:
<blockquote>
We hope that Unit 8 will come soon and that will be commendable. We hope that may result in load shedding hours reduced as right now it is not sustainable for businesses to run for hours as the cost is too huge resulting in some firms closing.
All the same, we are happy with the development, though we need more power.
</blockquote>
<h2>Hwange Unit 7</h2>
Unit 7 was successfully synchronised with the national grid and started feeding electricity on Monday, 20 March.
The synchronisation sought to establish if the electricity being generated from Unit 7 would flow into the national grid.
The Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) said that power from Unit 7 will be progressively fed into the grid until it reaches 300MW.
ZPC said it expects the second 300MW thermal unit (unit 8) to start generating power in October.
<h2>Depressed Power Generation</h2>
According to power generation statistics, ZESA ‘s five power stations in Kariba, Hwange, Bulawayo, Munyati and Harare on Wednesday collectively produced 361MW against a national demand of 1 800MW.
Hwange Thermal Power Station has the capacity to generate 1 220MW, while Kariba South Hydroelectric Power Plant has the capacity to generate 1 050MW.
On Friday, 24 March, Hwange was generating 530MW, Kariba, 350MW, and Munyati, 18MW to give a total of 898MW. Harare and Bulawayo were not generating anything.
<h2>ZESA Loadshedding, Debts</h2>
To cover for the shortfall, ZESA is load-shedding consumers as well as importing from South Africa, Mozambique and Zambia.
A <a href="https://www.263chat.com/zambia-to-switch-off-zim-over-power-supply-debt/">recent report</a> claimed that Zambia’s power utility ZESCO Limited was set to disconnect supply to Zimbabwe on 14 March over non-payment of US$10.7 million debt for the month of February and March.
ZETDC commercial service director Gift Ndhlovu was recently quoted as saying the overall debt to regional suppliers has increased to over US$100.
More: <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Hwange Unit 7 Will Not End Zimbabwe's Power Crisis

The Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) late on Monday said the new 300 megawatts (MW) generating unit at Hwange Thermal Power Station started feeding electricity into the national grid.
Zimbabwe is expanding the 920MW Hwange power station by adding two 300MW units (7 &amp; 8) at a cost of US$1.4 billion, with 85% of the funding coming from China, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/zimbabwes-new-300-mw-coal-fired-plant-starts-feeding-into-grid-2023-03-21/">reported Reuters</a>.
Unit 7, the first of the two units built by China’s Sinohydro, was successfully synchronised into the national grid on Monday evening. A short statement released by ZPC yesterday reads:
<blockquote>
The Hwange Expansion Project’s Unit 7 was successfully synchronised today at 1826hrs.
Power will be progressively fed into the grid until it reaches 300MW.
</blockquote>
The ZPC has said it expects the second 300MW thermal unit (unit 8) to start generating power in October.
On Tuesday, 21 March, ZPC was generating a paltry 522MW from two out of five power stations.
Hwange and Kariba were generating 323MW and 199MW respectively, while Munyati, Bulawayo, and Harare were producing zero.
Zimbabwe requires 1 700MW in Summer to end load shedding.
More: <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Hwange Unit 7 Power Generation Set For Gradual Increase To 300MW Capacity - ZESA

The Hwange Thermal Power Station’s Unit 7 was successfully synchronised with the national grid and started feeding electricity on Monday, 20 March.
<a href="https://www.chronicle.co.zw/historic-moment-as-unit-7-is-synchronised-successfully/">The Chronicle</a> reported that the synchronisation, which was done at 6.25 PM, sought to establish if the electricity being generated from Unit 7 would flow into the national grid.
In 1984 four engineers were electrocuted at Hwange Power Station when they synchronised a system that was not yet ready.
Yesterday, the process was done without any complications and after 20 minutes of the synchronisation, 41MW of electricity were being fed into the grid.
It was hoped that up to 100MW would be fed into the grid from Unit 7 later on Monday.
Six hours from the time the synchronisation started, the engineers were going to switch off Unit 7 and conduct checks on the system.
The checks would be conducted for 12 hours, and thereafter, Unit 7 would be brought back onto the grid and be allowed to generate electricity again.
However, it will take time for Unit 7 to achieve the installed capacity of 300MW and expectations are that this will be attained by June this year.
The project manager, Engineer Forbes Chanakira, a University of Zimbabwe graduate, turns 41 next Monday.
ZESA Holdings executive chairman Sydney Gata, who was at the power plant yesterday to witness the synchronisation, likened the amount of work put into commissioning a thermal power station to an “open heart surgery”. Said Gata:
<blockquote>
The synchronisation has been successful and I am happy. As ZESA we are proud of this event.
We can gladly say we have a viable investment here. The rest of the tests can now be concluded while the unit is now generating electricity and soon we shall be enjoying more electricity.
The plant was well-designed and well-constructed. Today we have been able to synchronise it with the national grid.
I pay tribute to the project manager Engineer Forbes Chanakira and a team of nearly 200 young engineers for a job well done.
</blockquote>
Before the expansion project, Hwange Thermal Power Station had an installed capacity of 920MW.
The addition of 600MW from Units 7 and 8 will take the installed capacity to 1 520MW.
National Coordinator responsible for programmes and projects in the Office of the President and Cabinet Amos Marawa, who was also present during the synchronisation, said ZESA should now start rehabilitating the old six units to ensure they generate more electricity.
More: <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Hwange Power Station Unit 7 Synchronised Successfully

The process synchronising the Hwange Expansion Project’s Unit 7 into the national grid will start on Monday.
In a statement issued on Saturday, 18 March, the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC), a subsidiary of ZESA Holdings, said:
<blockquote>
On Monday the 20th of March 2023, ZPC will begin the process of synchronising the Hwange Expansion Project’s Unit 7 into the national grid.
</blockquote>
The synchronisation of Hwange units 7 and 8 to the grid is expected to add a cumulative 600MW.
Electricity generation has been depressed for months resulting in massive unscheduled power cuts across the country.
On Friday, 17 March 2023, Kariba power station was generating 241MW, Hwange, 315MW, and Harare, 11MW, giving a total of 567MW.
ZESA is importing 100MW from Zambia’s ZESCO, 50MW from HCB Mozambique of Mozambique, and 100MW from Eskom of South Africa.
Zimbabwe needs between 1 500 MW and 1 700MW of electricity for load shedding to end.
More: <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Synchronisation Of Hwange Unit 7 Into National Grid Commences On 20 March - ZPC

ZESA Holdings is currently unable to avail a load-shedding timetable due to the unreliability of Hwange Power Station which is now very old and constantly breaks down.
This was said by Energy and Power Development Minister Zhemu Soda on Wednesday in the National Assembly while responding to lawmakers who wanted to know why the power utility had stopped issuing load-shedding schedules. Soda said:
<blockquote>
At the moment, it’s very difficult to come up with a schedule because we have unplanned power outages at Hwange due to its age.
We cannot plan well based on the capacity of Hwange. We have unplanned outages that are occurring from Hwange.
In the morning today, we were obtaining a capacity of 387 megawatts, and you will be surprised that it can go down to 100 megawatts.
Of the four units that are currently in service, some would have gone out of service. So the power station is not reliable at the moment because of age.
We will soon be availing a load-shedding schedule after the coming in of unit seven and unit eight.
If there is going to be any deficit after the two units come in, then ZESA will have to give a load-shedding schedule.
</blockquote>
Zimbabwe’s largest power plant is the Kariba South Bank Hydro, with an installed capacity of 1 050MW followed by Hwange Thermal Power Station with an installed 920MW capacity.
By Thursday afternoon, the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) was yet to post the power generation statistics on its website.
But the previous day, Wednesday, 08 March, Hwange was generating 401MW, Kariba was producing 253MW and Harare was on 12MW, giving a total of 666MW.
The other two power stations, Munyati and Bulawayo were producing zero.
More: <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

"Load Shedding Timetable Impossible", Soda Cites Constant Breakdowns At Hwange

The new Unit 7 at Hwange Thermal Power Station is expected to come on the grid on 16 March while Unit 8 is expected to come on line April.
This was said by the Minister of Energy and Power Development Minister, Soda Zhemu on Wednesday during the National Assembly question and answer session, reported <a href="https://www.herald.co.zw/hwange-unit-7-to-come-on-grid-in-two-weeks/">The Herald</a>.
He was responding to a question by Chegutu West MP, Dexter Nduna (ZANU PF) on what Government was doing to address power blackouts that worsened this week. Said Soda:
<blockquote>
According to ZESA, Unit 7 shall be tied on the grid on the 16th of this month while Unit 8 will come on board a month later.
</blockquote>
Soda blamed the ageing equipment at Hwange Power Station the for the electricity crisis. He said:
<blockquote>
This week we noticed there was a depressed power supply which was occasioned by unfortunate outages at Hwange and we lost three units from the 23rd of February.
This is a result of the age of the equipment which we have always spoken about.
The equipment is now very old, the power station was constructed a long time ago and the equipment is now due for replacement at Hwange power station.
It is unfortunate because these outages are not planned. If they were planned outages, then warnings would have been sent by the power utility.
</blockquote>
Soda also said the water level at Kariba Dam was rising and was now at 14 percent of live storage. He said:
<blockquote>
We hope this will inform the allocation of water for power generation when it’s due for review in a fortnight.
</blockquote>
National Assembly Speaker Jacob Mudenda said there was a need for Soda to bring a comprehensive ministerial statement on the power crisis.
On Wednesday, 01 March 2023, the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) was generating a total of 352MW.
Kariba was producing 280MW while Hwange was generating a paltry 72MW.
More <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Hwange Unit 7 To Come On Grid On 16 March - Minister Soda

The Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) says it is at various stages of repairing four units at Hwange Power Station after a series of breakdowns in recent days.
The breakdowns at the thermal power plant, which is the country’s second-biggest plant, literally plunged the country deeper into darkness as it is now operating at just 10 percent of its 920 megawatts capacity.
According to a general supply summary report produced by ZPC, between February 15 and 23 this year, four units at the Hwange thermal power plant were switched off, leaving the plant operating with one.
ZESA spokesperson George Manyaya promised to provide comment to <a href="https://www.herald.co.zw/zpc-attends-to-faults-at-hwange-power-plant/">The Herald</a> after “getting a status update from the technical team” on Tuesday, but he had not done so by the time of publishing.
According to ZPC, a unit of ZESA Holdings responsible for generating electricity, Unit 4 was switched off on 15 February after developing a boiler tube leak.
Unit 1 was taken off on February 24 after a high-pressure fan got damaged.
Unit 3 was stopped on February 24 after developing a tube leak while Unit 6 was switched off on February 23 after developing a similar problem.
The damaged units are at various stages of being repaired, said ZPC. Unit 5 tripped in October 2021 due to excessive turbine vibrations.
On Wednesday, 01 March 2023, Kariba hydroelectric plant was generating 280MW.
Kariba’s Unit 4 was taken out on July 20 2022 due to a damaged turbine runner.
Generator 1 was switched off on February 2 2023 for turbine runner inspection. The inspections have been completed and the unit has been placed on annual maintenance.
Unit 8 tripped on 20 December 2022 due to GTx 8 fault and is being replaced.
Unit 6 was taken out on December 16 2022 for an annual overhaul and machine cooling water pipework replacement. Kariba dam level has slightly improved to 13,75 percent.
Meanwhile, Hwange was generating only 72MW this Wednesday while the small power stations, Munyati and Bulawayo are currently switched off for boiler maintenance.
Zimbabwe is importing 50MW from Hidroeléctrica de Cahora Bassa; 180MW from Eskom, between 130-200MW from Electricidade de Moçambique and 1 00MW from Zambia’s state-owned power utility ZESCO.
The country is exporting up to 80MW to Namibia.

Several Units At Hwange Power Station Break Down

Energy and Power Development Minister, Zhemu Soda, has said the commissioning of Unit 7 at the Hwange Thermal Power Plant is “almost complete”.
Speaking in an interview with State media on Wednesday, Soda said engineers are now finalising works on the protection system that allows evacuation of power from the Unit to the grid. He said:
<blockquote>
The testing of the power plant was done and passed. We are only left with the testing of the protection system that allows for the evacuation of power to the transmission system and a team from China only came into the country in mid-December when we initially expected them in November.
There was also a delay in their understanding of all the systems; we are now expecting them to complete the test in three weeks and to have the plant run by end of this month.
</blockquote>
Commercial production from Unit 7 was initially expected to start at the end of December 2022.
The Unit will produce 300MW and Unit 8, which is scheduled to be commissioned later in this quarter will also have the same capacity. Said Soda:
<blockquote>
We don’t expect it to take much longer to commission Unit 8 because we have learned many lessons from the current unit.
</blockquote>
After the commissioning of Hwange 7 &amp; 8, ZESA intends to start major rehabilitation of the existing units to restore their capacity to 930 MW.
The government has reportedly secured US$310 million from the Export-Import Bank of India for the exercise. | <a href="https://www.herald.co.zw/hwange-unit-7-testing-in-final-stages/">The Herald</a>

Hwange Power Station Unit 7 Testing In Final Stages - Soda

ZESA Holdings, the local power utility, has said customers won’t experience another aggressive load-shedding as experienced in recent weeks saying there has been increased electricity supply in the country lately.
In a statement seen by Pindula News, the authority said it has increased the generation of power at Hwange Power Station. Reads the statement:
<blockquote>
<h2>UPDATE ON THE ELECTRICITY SUPPLY SITUATION DECEMBER 2022</h2>
ZESA Holdings is pleased to advise its valued Stakeholders of the increased electricity supply in the country, which has resulted in reduced load curtailment across all our customer segments. This development follows weeks of depressed generation attributed to the dropping water levels at Lake Kariba which necessitated the directive to reduce power generation at Kariba South Power Station by the Zambezi River Authority (ZRA). Moreover, the incessant breakdown of the aged Hwange Power Station equipment saw the station operating with two units during the period. The current power generation challenges affecting the region affected electricity trading on the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) market further reducing import arrangements in the face of exponential demand for power in the country. In the past weeks, we have been extensively engaging with various Stakeholders so as to implement critical measures to alleviate the power deficit challenges. The power deficit is not unique to Zimbabwe but the entire SADC region and interventions proffered by ZESA Management inter alia:
• Our Engineers and Technicians have been working frantically to ensure increased power generation. Consequently, we have increased generation at the Hwange Power Station by getting the broken down Units back up, resulting in Five (5) of the Six (6) being currently operational which has increased supply to the national grid. This will help ease the demand supply gap during the festive break as we also anticipate reduced demand from the business sector during the period.
• Unit 8 is progressing well and is planned to be commissioned during the first quarter of next year.
• We are delighted by the recent announcement by Government to support a good number of Independent Power Producer (IPP) projects, mostly Solar which have been awaiting a Guarantee Structure. The Ministry of Energy and Power Development and ZESA will procure this capacity to the extent to not only balance supply and demand, but also to export surplus capacity, as well as to conserve water in Lake Kariba which will be used both as a balancing plant for Renewables as well as Energy Banking for IPPs via Conjunctive Dispatch. The general shortage of power in the region will inevitably translate to increased costs of Electricity. However, the combination of the Kariba Complex with Solar, mini-hydro and Wind Power whose costs are on a reduction trajectory will ensure competitive pricing to our consumers.
• Zimbabwe has a clear roadmap to transition its power generation to support a green economy to include the Batoka project which will be a joint venture between Zambia and Zimbabwe. Discussions between the countries are now being speeded up whilst development financiers are still being sought. 
• The company is also advancing projects to utilize the available hydro capacity provided by the 10 gorges. Development of a massive hydro potential on the Kafue and Zambezi basins and operation of the power plants on a collaborative conjunctive basis is also being considered as one of the most viable strategy for the region. This project is anticipated to produce megawatts and enable us to export power. 
• We have secured funding for the Hwange Power Station life extension and repowering of small thermal power stations. 
Whilst we anticipate all these plans will help the supply side, customers are being encouraged to use the available power sparingly and engage in Demand Side Management (DSM) initiatives to ease pressure on the grid. 
• We have successfully managed to secure the injection of additional imports from other SAPP members to support supply until the Kariba reservoir recovers in the first quarter of next year. We would like to express our profound gratitude for the support and commitment we got from the Government to mobilize the much needed foreign currency.
• The Utility intensely facilitated the establishment of an Intensive Energy User Group (IEUG) with the objective to guarantee supplies to maximum demand customers and ease pressure on the grid. These customers will import power directly, as well as support the development of IPPs in the country by signing PPAs directly with them. The first meeting was held on 29 March 2022 and there have been engagement meetings in Zambia and Mozambique. We are now pushing that we move faster on this initiative as it is in line with global developments where the private sector is involved more and more in developing and securing power supplies. As a sign of progression and commitment, during the current crisis some of the members of this group offered to resource the Utility with advance payments of their electricity usage bills to enable as to meet our power import obligations, and to date one such transaction has already been implemented.
As a lasting solution and going forward:
• The Hwange 7 &amp; 8 which is set to bring an additional 600MW to the national grid was scheduled to be completed by January 2022, However, the effects of Covid -19 derailed the completion.Our valued stakeholders are advised that Hwange 7 &amp; 8 commissioning preparations are well on course. To date, it is pleasing to see that the technical tests are progressing well and the Utility expects the first additional 300 Megawatts from Unit 7 soon. Every indication is that it has been built well. We are treading cautiously on the technical aspects so that we energize robust machinery hence the need to follow all comprehensive commissioning tests. It is against this background that on this last mile, the ZESA leadership and respective staff are resident at the Hwange Power Station for the duration of the festive period being cognizant of the importance, expectations and urgency that this matter presents.
Accordingly, ZESA would like to assure its valued customers that they will not experience the aggressive load curtailment they have been experiencing in the past few weeks during the festive period. The utility is conversant of the need to guarantee supply to the nation, and thus we not only have measures to mitigate the emergency but also have opportunities to increase capacity and to improve service delivery.
We would like to sincerely apologize to all our valued stakeholders for the inconveniences caused during this period.
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A BRIGHTER NEW YEAR!!!
Stakeholder Relations (23/12/2022)
</blockquote>
<h2><a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/">More Pindula News</a></h2>

ZESA Assures Customers They Won't Experience Another Aggressive Load-Shedding

The permanent secretary in the Ministry of Energy and Power Development, Gloria Magombo on Tuesday said the commissioning of two new units at Hwange Thermal Power Station will take time.
These two new units will add 600MW to the national grid, but it may not happen soon.
Addressing the media after a Cabinet meeting in Harare yesterday, Magombo said:
<blockquote>
Commissioning of a plant is not an event, it’s a process. When we talk about commissioning Hwange 7, each part has to be commissioned independently and certified as working 100%, before they move on to the next one.
If there’s something not working properly, they have to stop, look at it, and correct it. As they do that, they look at the critical path in terms of when they can put that unit on the grid.
</blockquote>
She said the other part of commissioning is the construction of transmission power lines including a 400km line from Hwange to Bulawayo’s Insukamini sub-station.
Watch the video below for more:
<div>
<video controls="controls" height="356" preload="metadata" width="640"><a href="https://t792ae.c2.acecdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Gloria-Magombo.mp4">https://t792ae.c2.acecdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Gloria-Magombo.mp4</a></video></div>
Meanwhile, On Tuesday, the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) was generating only 494MW from its five power stations located in Bulawayo, Munyati, Harare, Hwange and Kariba.
On the same day, Zimbabwe was importing 50MW from Mozambique’s HCB, up to 169MW from ESKOM, 100MW from Zambia’s ZESCO, and 10MW from EDM in Mozambique.
Magombo said the country has agreed with EDM to increase supplies to 50MW, while there is an agreement for a further 150MW from Mozambique. | <a href="https://newzwire.live/govts-latest-energy-update-there-is-bad-news-and-slightly-less-bad-news/">newZWire</a>

"Commissioning Of Hwange Units 7 & 8 Will Take Time"

Zimbabwe’s permanent secretary of Information, Publicity and Broadcasting Services, Nick Mangwana has said the government is working to resolve the power crisis which he said is “causing distress to the citizenry and business.”
The <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/ZESA">Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA)</a> rolled out a crippling load-shedding schedule last week after being directed by the Zambezi River Authority <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/severe-load-shedding-looms-as-zra-tells-zesa-to-shut-down-kariba-power-station/">to reduce power generation</a> at <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Kariba_South_Power_Station">Kariba South Hydropower Station</a> to allow the water body to refill.
In some parts of the country, load-shedding goes for 22 hours while it is effective, uninterrupted, from 5 am to 11 pm in some parts of Harare, the capital. In a Twitter post seen by Pindula News, Mangwana thanked the citizenry for its patience. He said:
<blockquote>
The power cuts are causing distress, inconvenience and cost to the citizenry and business. This is regrettable. The challenge is affecting part of our region. Govt is seized with implementing immediate mitigatory measures to bring normalcy. We thank you for your patience.
</blockquote>
His remarks are in resonance with those of President Emmerson Mnangagwa who wrote in his weekly column in The Sunday Mail that the <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/the-power-crisis-makes-us-unattractive-to-investments-president-mnangagwa/">power cuts were making Zimbabwe unattractive to potential investors</a>.
Businesses say they have resorted to using generators and solar systems, an alternative that is expensive and is likely to trigger a sharp rise in the prices of commodities.
Zimbabwe’s imports of 540MW from neighbouring countries are not enough to cover the power deficit.
An update by the Zimbabwe Power Company on 6 December 2022 (today) suggests that Zimbabwe is generating a total of 494MW. In total, Zimbabwe has 1034 MW against a peak demand of 2 200 MW.
ZESA heavily relies on the Kariba Hydropower Station as the ageing <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Hwange_Power_Station">Hwange Thermal Power Station</a> is always breaking down.
There have been efforts to refurbish the Hwange plant and introduce new ones but there are no dividends to pick from the initiatives, yet.
<h2><a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/">More Pindula News</a></h2>

"Power Cuts Are Causing Distress To The Citizenry And Business," - Mangwana

A Zambian politician and member of the ruling United Party for National Development (UPND) has said the Kariba Dam is full and power generation is being conducted normally.
<a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Joseph_Kalimbwe">Joseph Kalimbwe</a>‘s remarks come as the Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) has advised the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC), a subsidiary of ZESA Holdings, that it has <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/severe-load-shedding-looms-as-zra-tells-zesa-to-shut-down-kariba-power-station/">already used more water than it had been allocated, therefore, must shut down</a> its Kariba Hydro Power Station (Kariba South Bank Power Station) power plant until at least January 2023 to allow the dam to refill, according to Pindula News.
Kariba Hydro Power Station is Zimbabwe’s only reliable power plant, as Hwange Thermal Power Station constantly breaks down due to ageing equipment while the other smaller thermal power plants, such as Harare, Bulawayo, and Munyati are also unreliable due to coal shortages.
The closure of the plant could worsen Zimbabwe’s power crisis.
In response to the development, Kalimbwe who is a staunch critic of the Zimbabwean government expressed shock. He said in a post seen by Pindula News:
<blockquote>
It’s rain season, the Kariba Dam is full. We have full electricity generation this side – perhaps with some issues in certain areas. But unless there is another Kariba, I don’t see why others are claiming and telling their people that the dam is empty!!! 
I trust the science, if you say the Zambezi river is empty in August or October, I will understand. If you say it’s empty in December – during rain season – you are peddling political lies !!!
</blockquote>
Zambia has 3 456.8MW of installed electricity generation capacity, of which about 85% is hydro-based. 
In July 2022, Zambia declared that the country has <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/zambia-declares-power-surplus-of-1-000mw/">a surplus capacity of about 1 000 megawatts (MW)</a> at a time the country is also enjoying an economic rebound.
Although there are pockets of private sector activity in the generation, transmission, and distribution, the vast majority of power in Zambia is operated by ZESCO, the vertically integrated state-owned utility.  
However, the sector is opening up to new IPPs for on-grid and off-grid transactions. 
The government of Zambia expects to bring online additional MW of solar, hydro, and thermal power through 2030. 
Following the announcement that Kariba water levels were reaching unusable levels, Zambia’s power utility, ZESCO Limited, said <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/zambia-will-not-experience-load-shedding-zesco-speaks-on-kariba-dam-low-water-levels/">there will be no load shedding in Zambia</a> as the existing generation capacity can provide consistent power to its local customers, Pindula News previously reported.
ZESCO Limited Board Chairperson Vickson N’cube said Zambia no longer relies on Kariba Dam alone and has the cushion of the 750 MW Kafue Gorge Lower Power Station that will be fully operational at the end of November 2022.
Kariba has a generation capacity of 2 130 megawatts split between Zambia and Zimbabwe, which are separated by the Zambezi. 
<h2><a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/">More Pindula News</a></h2>

Zambian Politician Says "It’s Rain Season, Kariba Dam Is Full, Unless There's Another Kariba"

The opposition Citizens Coalition for Change (CCC) led by Nelson Chamisa has said the ruling ZANU PF has failed to address the country’s power crisis and proposed possible solutions to the issue.
In a social media post seen by Pindula News, the party emphasised the need to modernise power generation infrastructure. The party said:
<blockquote>
ZANU PF has failed to solve the power crisis. A CCC Government would: 
1. Rehabilitate Hwange Power Stations 
2. Build additional hydro-power.stations including at Batoka Gorge 
3. Modernize Zimbabwe’s transmission infrastructure
4. Open up the energy sector to independent power producers 
4. Invest in renewable energy including solar, wind &amp; gas
</blockquote>
This comes after the Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) advised Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/severe-load-shedding-looms-as-zra-tells-zesa-to-shut-down-kariba-power-station/">to shut down the Kariba South Bank Power Station</a> for the remainder of the year due to low water levels at Kariba Dam.
ZRA chief executive officer Munyaradzi Munodawafa said the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC), a subsidiary of ZESA Holdings, used more water than it had been allocated, hence the need to close the power plant until at least January 2023 to allow the dam to fill.
Zimbabwe experienced acute power shortages in the past three years with authorities blaming ageing equipment’s incapacity to generate enough power, reduced electricity imports and water shortages at Kariba Dam.
Government critics blame the ZANU PF-led government for the country’s prolonged electricity challenges saying little has been done to increase electricity generation since the 1980s.
<h2><a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/">More Pindula News</a></h2>

CCC's Proposed Solutions To Zimbabwe's Power Ciris

Zimbabwe is now pinning hopes of improved electricity generation on the commissioning of unit 7 at the Hwange Power Station later this year as the water at the Kariba hydroelectric plant has fallen to a critically low level while existing generators at Hwange frequently break down.
According to ZESA Holdings’ internal statistics, the dam level of usable live water for generating power had dropped to 6.6 percent as of Thursday, 17 November.
Meanwhile, three generators at Hwange were shut down on Wednesday because of boiler tube leaks and the plant was running on two units, producing 231 megawatts to the plant’s rated capacity of 920 MW.
At Kariba, three units are down for various maintenance works and the plant was producing 475 MW.
All of the country’s small power units — Harare, Munyati and Bulawayo, were shut down due to coal shortages.
Independent power producers are supplying 29 MW to the grid and 290 MW are being imported from Zambia, South Africa, and Mozambique, but the country has a deficit of 612 MW.
Speaking to <a href="https://www.businessweekly.co.zw/zim-pins-hope-on-hwange-as-lake-kariba-drains/">Business Weekly</a> in an interview, Power and Energy Development Minister Zhemu Soda said the commissioning of unit 7 at Hwange is expected to feed 300 MW. Said Soda:
<blockquote>
Our hope now lies in unit seven. (Exiting) units at Hwange are coming out anytime and it’s no longer a surprise for us because the equipment has become too obsolete and we can’t rely on them.
</blockquote>
He said the commercial production may begin later this month or early December.
Unit 8, for an additional 300MW, is expected to come online during the first quarter of next year. Added:
<blockquote>
Although we are concerned about the water level at Kariba, Zambezi River Authority (which manages the lake) has advised us that we may continue generating and are also expecting early inflows to the lake due to early rain.
</blockquote>

Govts Pins Hope On Hwange Unit 7, As Kariba Depletes

One of the two power generators being built at Hwange Thermal Power Station was successfully turned on for the first time on Tuesday, bringing the country closer to producing an additional 300 megawatts.
The additional power, expected to be fed into the national grid before the end of the year, is premised on easing power shortages in the country.
The 300 MW unit is part of two generators making up the Hwange Thermal Power Station Unit 7 and 8 Expansion Project being undertaken by Chinese firm Sinohydro under a facility from China Eximbank.
When complete, the two units are expected to produce a combined 600 MW. The second unit is due for commissioning in early 2023.
In a brief update, the contractor tweeted:
<blockquote>
Hwange Expansion Project successfully completed the rolling of number 7 unit of steam turbine at rated 3000rpm (3000 revolutions per minute) on November 15, 2022 for the first time.
</blockquote>
Rolling means getting the steam turbine to rotate in order to produce electricity.
In an earlier update, the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) said the new 300 Megawatts from Hwange would not be immediately fed into the grid, said <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/power-projects-update-hwange-unit-7-coming-online-in-2022/">ZPC in its quarterly production update</a>. Read the update:
<blockquote>
The Hwange Expansion Project Unit 7 is expected to be synchronised to the grid by the end of this year. 
The Deka upgradation project is 71.2 percent complete and on track to be completed by March 31, 2023. The pipes have been laid in the order of thickness for the entire 42km. Since then, pipe welding has begun.
</blockquote>
Zimbabwe currently faces a huge power deficit due to old generating plants and low water volumes at Kariba Dam, where the country’s biggest power plant is situated.
Apart from building new power plants, other initiatives to increase electricity generation in the country are being pursued, including refurbishing the old Hwange thermal plant.
<a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/zimbabwe-gets-us310-million-from-india-for-rehabilitation-of-hwange-power-station/">ZPC secured US$310 million from the Export-Import Bank of India</a> to rehabilitate Hwange Power Station. The rehabilitation of the ageing thermal power plant shall be done in three phases. It is projected that the work on the refurbishment will begin in the third quarter of 2023.
<h2><a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/">More Pindula News</a></h2>

China-funded Hwange Power Generator Turned On

The <a href="https://newzwire.live/power-projects-update-zpc-sets-2023-for-hwange-old-plant-rehab/">Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC)</a> says it expects to start a critical refurbishment of the aged Hwange power plant in 2023, according to newZWire.
The project, funded by <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/zimbabwe-gets-us310-million-from-india-for-rehabilitation-of-hwange-power-station/">a US$310 million loan from the Export-Import Bank of India</a>, is meant to extend the life of Hwange’s six existing generator units. ZPC said in its latest update on power projects:
<blockquote>
The rehabilitation of the ageing thermal power plant shall be done in three phases, and we are projecting that the work on the refurbishment will begin in the third quarter of 2023.
</blockquote>
Some context:
The current Hwange units were built close to 40 years ago, and break down often, causing blackouts. 
The project to refurbish them and extend their life will take up to five years, officials said previously. When complete, the units would add up to 880MW.
This will be a separate project to the construction of the two new units, Hwange 7 &amp; 8, which will add a combined 600MW. 
ZPC plans to bring unit 7 online this year, while unit 8 will be connected next year. The project has been slowed down by a combination of government payment delays and COVID-19 disruptions.
ZPC will need more water to supply the new 7 &amp; 8 plants, and this is being done by building a 42km pipeline from the Zambezi. This will only be completed in March.
Zimbabwe faces a huge power deficit as it is generating about 870MW, about half of the current demand.
The crisis is attributed to underinvestment and corruption.
<h2><a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/">More Pindula News</a></h2>

Power Projects Update: Hwange Unit 7 Coming Online In 2022

Cement manufacturing company, <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Pretoria_Portland_Cement_Limited">PPC Zimbabwe</a> has said it is ready to study implementing the US$43 million solar project after securing the required funding.
PPC Zimbabwe Managing Director Mr Kelibone Masiyane made the announcement on Wednesday last week during a fact-finding visit by the Parliamentary portfolio committee on Industry and Commerce. 
The project is set to be carried out on two farms which will produce 30 megawatts with the Bulawayo plant requiring only 17 megawatts, while the remaining 13 megawatts are set to be fed into the national grid.
A total of 20 000 solar panels will be installed at a farm in Umguza just next to the Bulawayo plant while 40 000 panels will be put up in Colleen Bawn, Gwanda with all the panels being the sun tracking type. 
Mr Masiyane said they had completed financial closure paving way for work to commence on the ground. He said:
<blockquote>
We are spending roughly about US$43 million for two solar plants, one in Colleen Bawn and the other here in Bulawayo. We have thus concluded the financial closure in the last two weeks so now that it is done you must start seeing some activity on the ground.
We are investing in solar, green energy which is part of our de-carbonisation journey. As a cement producer you are aware that we are notorious for releasing a lot of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
If you look at annual release, we contribute about eight percent of global emissions as cement producers.
</blockquote>
The development comes as Zimbabwe is failing to generate enough power for local consumption. Zimbabwe’s power-generating capacity is 1 400 megawatts, but the projected national peak demand is 2 400 megawatts.
The southern African country imports some electricity from South Africa and Mozambique, nevertheless, imports are not enough to cover the deficit.
<h2><a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a></h2>

PPC Zimbabwe Says It's Ready To Start Implementing The US$43 million Solar Project

The Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) has managed to restore to service two units at Hwange Power Station that have been down for several days resulting in extended load-shedding.
In recent days, Zimbabweans in some parts of the country had to endure more than 12 hours a day without electricity after the 110MW Unit 3 and the 210MW Unit 6 came off-grid.
In an interview with State media in Kariba, Energy and Power Development permanent secretary Gloria Magombo said the two units had been restored to service. Said Magombo:
<blockquote>
We had lost two units at Hwange Power Station and I am happy that I got an update that production has been restored. The situation has to improve to our normal levels by the weekend.
The first to be restored was Unit 6 on Wednesday and I got an update that Unit 3 has also been restored.
</blockquote>
Magombo said the power supply situation is expected to improve by November when production begins at Hwange with the completion of Unit 7.
Unit 7 will be generating 300MW and Unit 8, which is expected to come on stream in early 2023, is also expected to generate 300MW. | <a href="https://www.herald.co.zw/two-hwange-units-up/">The Herald</a>

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