Zimbabwe’s industries are worried that Chinese lenders, who financed the US$1.4 billion refurbishment of the Hwange Thermal Power Station, may “switch off” the facility due to ZESA Holdings’ struggles to service the debt.
If banks pull the trigger, Zimbabwe faces worsening power shortages, compounding the nation’s already dire economic situation, which includes inflation, foreign currency shortages, bankruptcies, and the loss of global brands.
Blackouts of up to 18 hours a day are already hindering industrial growth, with investors warning of long-term economic ramifications from the ongoing energy crisis.
Zimbabwe’s largest power source, the 600-megawatt Hwange plant, has become crucial after a drought severely reduced generation at the Kariba South Hydroelectric Power Plant, leading to the worst blackouts in 44 years, according to some industrialists.
ZESA began paying US$36 million in monthly instalments to Chinese lenders in October of last year.
However, it was only able to make its first payment after pushing for a tariff hike to improve its capacity to service the debt for the refurbishment of Hwange’s Units 7 and 8.
In an interview with the <a href="https://www.theindependent.co.zw/local-news/article/200035282/chinese-debt-threatens-to-switch-off-hwange">Zimbabwe Independent</a>, Christopher Mugaga, chief executive officer at ZNCC, urged authorities to ensure that the debt is paid. Said Mugaga:
<blockquote>
We have to pay the debt. We have been failing to service Hwange 7 and 8 in terms of debt repayment to the Chinese, which is an issue.
Even if units 7 and 8 continue firing on all cylinders, the debt position can make the Chinese switch off until we pay. This is the reason why I say the power situation is dire.
If you look at the impact of power shortages, they are having far and wide impacts in terms of literally all sectors of the economy.
We are looking at power outages on average of more than 60% of working hours.
The power challenges are eroding or threatening GDP (gross domestic product) growth by almost 0,8 percentage points.
</blockquote>
Mugaga said the ongoing electricity crisis has led to approximately 45,000 people losing their jobs or facing an industry downturn, leaving it unable to create new employment opportunities. He said:
<blockquote>
As I talk to you, if you look at the Kariba power station, we are generating an average of 100MW.
You can imagine how terrible it is. Units 7 and 8 are generating about 600MW. They are operating well. Unit 5 is literally dysfunctional; it has a capacity of about 150MW.
Then Units 1 to 4 are producing less than 100MW. They are always under repair and failing.
On average, you will see that we are not looking at less than 45 000 human bodies who could potentially have been employed but either are losing their jobs, or no jobs are created due to the power challenges alone.
</blockquote>
The Hwange Units 7 and 8 Expansion Project was financed by the China Exim Bank, which provided a loan of around US$1 billion. The bank also provided a loan of US$319 million for the expansion project at Kariba Hydro Power Station.
However, it remains unclear whether the lenders have legally binding authority to shut down the power station over the debt.
Zimbabwe and China maintain strong diplomatic relations, and analysts suggest that these ties will play a big role in shaping how Chinese lenders address the debt issue.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Pindula News

Zimbabwe owes a lot of money to China for fixing a power plant. If they don't pay, China might turn off the power plant, making things worse in Zimbabwe. The power plant is very important because it provides a lot of electricity for the country. Without power, businesses can't work properly, and more people might lose their jobs. The government is trying to increase electricity prices to pay back the debt, but it's still a big problem. China and Zimbabwe are friends, so they might find a solution together.

Chinese Lenders May "Switch Off" Hwange Power Plant Over Debt, Warns Industry

Zimbabwe’s power generation is expected to decline further in the coming months as Units 7 and 8 of the Hwange Thermal Power Station, which provide nearly half of the country’s electricity, are scheduled for Class C maintenance—a statutory requirement.
This maintenance will remove 600 MW from the grid at a time when output from Kariba has fallen to just 215 MW.
Consequently, Zimbabwe will rely on five operational units at Hwange (1, 2, 3, 4, and 6), many of which are prone to breakdowns.
Class C maintenance involves more comprehensive tasks than routine maintenance. This type of maintenance is scheduled periodically and includes detailed inspections of critical components and systems to identify potential issues that may not be evident during regular checks.
It also encompasses complete overhauls of major equipment, such as turbines, generators, and boilers, ensuring they operate efficiently and safely. 
Additionally, extensive testing and calibration of instruments and control systems are conducted to maintain accuracy and reliability.
Gloria Magombo, the permanent secretary of the Ministry of Energy and Power Development, said that Zimbabwe has licenced Independent Power Producer (IPP) projects totalling nearly 2,000 MW in solar energy and 920 MW in coal.
However, most of these projects remain unimplemented because investors require a stable environment and government guarantees on returns.
Magombo said that the average electricity demand during winter was 2,300 MW, while the average supply stood at only 1,550 MW.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Zimbabwe's power might decrease because Hwange Units 7 and 8 are undergoing maintenance. This will remove 600 MW from the grid. The country will have to rely on other units at Hwange, which sometimes break down. The maintenance involves checking critical parts to make sure everything works well. Zimbabwe has licensed projects for solar and coal energy, but they are not implemented yet. More power is needed than what is currently available.

Power Crisis Looms As Hwange Units 7 And 8 Go Offline For Maintenance

The Greater Hwange Residents Trust and Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) workers have petitioned the Matabeleland North provincial Environmental Management Agency (EMA) seeking the release of information regarding the pollution from Hwange Thermal Power Station of Ingagula township, which is located close to the power plant, reported the <a href="https://newsday.co.zw/southerneye/local/article/200028795/residents-petition-ema-over-hwange-air-pollution">Southern Eye</a>.
They petitioned EMA through the Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights and handed the petition to the EMA provincial manager Chipo Mpofu-Zuze.
According to human rights lawyers, the Ingagula township is situated close to a recently expanded thermal power station, posing a potential health risk to residents. Reads the petition:
<blockquote>
Our clients advise that since the commissioning of the two units, air quality levels in Ingagula township and the surrounding areas have deteriorated and there are growing cases of poor health being caused by air pollution from the emissions of the power generating stations.
Our clients are concerned that the right of the residents to an environment that is not harmful to their health or well-being in terms of section 73(1)(a) of the Constitution is being violated.
</blockquote>
The ZLHR further stated that EMA must ensure that an operation of the size of the expanded power plant (whose installed capacity is 600MW) will not harm the environment and the communities residing in the particular area before it commences. Reads the petition:
<blockquote>
In terms of the law, we are aware that for any operations of such magnitude to commence, in any area in Zimbabwe, your office is supposed to be informed and plays a crucial role as a regulatory authority in assessing and determining whether such an operation should commence and to ensure that the operation will not in any way harm the environment and the communities residing in the particular area.
We advise that our clients have the right to environmental information in terms of section 4(b) of the Environmental Management Act [Chapter 20:27]. As such, we have been instructed as we hereby do to request that you furnish us within seven days of your receipt of this letter the environmental impact assessment report concluded prior to the completion of Units 7 and 8, the conditions on the permitted emissions in the emissions licence for the power station issued in terms of sections 64 and 65 of the Act.
</blockquote>
The ZLHR requested that EMA conduct investigations into the air pollution caused by the power generating station. This is per section 63(1)(b) of the relevant Act.
Additionally, the ZLHR requested that the EMA provide them with the most recent ambient air sampling results for Hwange town, with a specific focus on the Ingagula township and surrounding areas.
EMA has yet to respond to the petition.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Hwange Residents Petition EMA Over Thermal Power Plant Pollution

The Government says the country is steadily moving towards energy sufficiency which will make load shedding a thing of the past.
In an interview with <a href="https://www.chronicle.co.zw/zimbabwe-close-to-energy-sufficiency-local-generation-and-imports-now-meet-daily-demand-of-almost-2-000mw/">State media</a> on the sidelines of the Zimbabwe National Chamber of Commerce (ZNCC) conference in Victoria Falls on Wednesday, 28 June, Energy and Power Development Ministry Permanent Secretary Gloria Magombo said local generation and imports now meet the daily demand of almost 2 000MW.
She said Hwange Thermal Power Station’s Units 7 and 8 which are undergoing technical commissioning ahead of commercialisation, have improved the power situation in the country. Said Magombo:
<blockquote>
We need to meet the growing demand which is based on the growing economy. As for Hwange Units 7 and 8, from March this year, we successfully synchronised Unit 7 which has been going through technical commissioning.
We are now doing the last of the tests and it will soon be going into commercial operation and as they are doing the tests the power is being supplied.
And we have also successfully in May brought in Unit 8 which is now going through reliability tests and, it will go on until September when it will also go into commercial operation.
While there may be a day or two where we will be doing other tests, it will be available and that is already being felt by people.
</blockquote>
Units 7 and 8 will provide a combined 600MW once they are operating at full capacity.
Before the expansion project, Hwange Power Station had an installed capacity of 920MW and the addition of 600MW from Units 7 and 8 will take the installed capacity to 1 520MW.
However, the old units experience frequent breakdowns and can no longer be relied on.
Magombo said the current demand is 1 850MW and, in addition to imports, the gap between demand and local power generation has been reduced drastically. She said:
<blockquote>
If you look at the additional 600MW which we have added onto the grid with all the two units running, our current demand is sitting at about 1 850MW.
We are now almost exactly supplying that amount, including some of the power which is coming from imports.
Obviously, you know that Kariba reduced output so we can do more in a year where there is much more water.
So we are cautiously using Kariba now, but what we have is able to meet our demand and we are able to do without any load shedding.
</blockquote>
On 01 July 2023, Kariba Hydro Power Station was generating 875 MW, Hwange 600 MW and Harare 15 MW to give a total of 1 490 MW.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Local Power Generation And Imports Now Meet Demand - Govt Official

The Minister of Energy and Power Development, <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/Soda_Zhemu">Soda Zhemu</a>, announced that Hwange Unit 8 is now ready for synchronisation. He also commended the improvements in power supply resulting from the full operation of Hwange Unit 7.
He made the statement while speaking to journalists at the <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/2023/04/30/us-uk-eu-participation-at-zitf-proof-that-re-engagement-is-working-ed">Zimbabwe International Trade Fair (ZITF)</a> in Bulawayo on Friday. The synchronisation of Unit 7 last month has been credited with reducing power cuts in some parts of the country. Domestic power generation capacity has risen to over 1 000MW total output, up from the lowest point of about 300MW in February of this year. Minister Zhemu told journalists:
<blockquote>
Hwange Unit 7 has been under construction for quite some time but it was synchronised onto the national grid on 20 March and is still undergoing commissioning tests at various performance levels. I am pleased to announce that on 16 May we will witness the synchronisation of Unit 8 and getting connected to the national grid. In June we will have Unit 7 being available commercially. What it means is that we shall have a constant supply of 300 megawatts.
</blockquote>
The 600MW Hwange expansion project, costing US$1.5 billion through a Chinese loan deal, was facilitated by the Second Republic under President Mnangagwa, he added.
Minister Zhemu also announced that the Kariba Power Station which was in danger of shutting down last year due to low water levels is now producing an average of 500 megawatts. Last year, negotiations with Zambia allowed the power station to generate an average of 250 megawatts. The minister stated that they intend to increase the generation further to meet the demands for winter wheat production activities.
Despite efforts to stabilise Zimbabwe’s power situation, it remains fragile due to vandalism, which forces the power utility to redirect funds from other projects to replace damaged equipment. Minister Zhemu has stated that measures are being taken to address this issue, such as using drones for surveillance and introducing legislation to deter such activities.
<h2><a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/">More Pindula News</a></h2>

Hwange Unit 8 Ready For Synchronisation - Energy Minister

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

ZESA Holdings executive chairman, Sydney Gata said that the synchronisation of the Hwange Thermal Power Station Unit 7 with the national grid almost failed to happen.
The Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) managed to synchronise the first of two generators 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.
Speaking in an exclusive interview with <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/thestandard/news/article/200009324/hwange-7-why-zesa-boss-panicked">The Standard</a> on the sidelines of the 4th International Renewable Energy Conference in Victoria Falls organised by The Standard in collaboration with the Energy and Power Development ministry, Gata said:
<blockquote>
The commissioning of the power plant is a very protracted process and it can be up to six months.
During that time, you start by testing individual components, processes and systems before they are connected to the grid.
You cannot offload the tests, and two of them are very critical.
There is the boiler hydraulic test and then there is the turbo test.
Out of the 20-plus tests, those two tell you whether you have a power station or not.
In our case, and both for Unit 7 and Unit 8, both were extremely successful, well above average responses.
This power plant, even if we may later fail to run it, was designed very well, and was built very well.
Commissioning is after finishing the offload tests or technical tests.
Synchronisation is when you are connecting a proven asset to the grid.
They (the generator and the grid) must communicate in a very complex language called quotation codes.
Now, the design of the communication system is also a science in its own right.
</blockquote>
Gata revealed that the synchronisation process was supposed to take place on 13 December last year but this did not happen. He said:
<blockquote>
We were supposed to synchronise on the 13th of December last year, but the quotation codes used by the Chinese were not compatible with the ones we use in Southern Africa.
We asked them to design codes that were compatible with our codes.
They failed, so we went to the supplier, ABB China, and they also failed.
</blockquote>
He said he was in a state of panic during the Christman period, and a former ZESA employee who is now a consultant for Eskom saved the day. Said Gata:
<blockquote>
We were in a crisis. Ndakaita dzungu. I spent Christmas in a state of panic. We were trying to figure out what to do next.
So, we went to South Africa and put out a tender for the services. There were a few companies in South Africa that responded.
One thing that should make Zimbabweans proud is that one of the companies that responded to the tender) is run by a Zimbabwean named David Mvura, a former ZESA employee and a consultant at Eskom.
He is the one who solved the puzzle.
He (Mvura) was here celebrating with us when we successfully synchronised.
We also celebrated his patriotism.
He gave us a quote for two weeks and did it in under that time. Everyone else I mean the South African companies, wanted four weeks or more.
We are very proud and really celebrate him because the embarrassment we were facing was massive because the power station was finished, the grid is waiting and we are load shedding like it’s a fashion.
Thankfully we are over that.
</blockquote>
Gata also said that because the sycnhronisation of Unit 7 was delayed, the progress on Unit 8 was catching up and the sycnhronisation of the latter should happen in about a month’s time.
More: <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Synchronisation Of Hwange Unit 7 Almost Failed To Happen - ZESA Boss

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

Hundreds of engineers are working on aligning Unit 7 at Hwange Power Station to the national grid before commercial production of electricity commences, an official has said.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Energy and Power Development, Gloria Magombo, told <a href="https://zbcnews.co.zw/2023/03/19/hwange-unit-7-power-station-almost-ready/">ZBC News</a> that meticulous tests are being carried out to synchronise the new unit with the national grid before it goes online. Said Magombo:
<blockquote>
We are talking of aligning the entire plant to the national grid and that involves hundreds of engineers who are working day in and day out to make sure that all systems are in place.
Our target is to commission the plant by the end of this month but this cannot be rushed because we have to ensure that the plant is fully synchronised.
</blockquote>
In a statement issued on Saturday, 18 March, the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC), a subsidiary of ZESA Holdings, said the process of synchronising the Hwange Expansion Project’s Unit 7 into the national grid will start on Monday, 20 March.
Hwange Unit 7 is expected to add 300MW to the national grid. Unit 8 is expected to come online in the next few weeks and also add 300MW to the national grid.
The majority of Zimbabweans are being forced to endure more than 18 hours a day without electricity due to depressed power generation at the country’s ageing power plants.
More: <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

"Hundreds Of Engineers Working On Hwange Unit 7"

The breakdown of five out of six units at the Hwange Thermal Power Plant has compounded existing electricity challenges Zimbabwe is facing with some customers enduring power cuts lasting more than 24 hours.
The country’s power utility, ZESA Holdings, is expected to bring online two new units at the Hwange Thermal Power Plant in the coming weeks to add 600MW to the national grid.
However, due to constant breakdowns at Zimbabwe’s largest coal-fired power station, which has seen output falling to less than 9 percent of its designed capacity of 920MW in recent days, there is little hope that units 7 and 8 will change anything.
An energy expert, Gerald Tasara, told <a href="https://www.businessweekly.co.zw/will-hwange-7-and-8-make-big-difference/">Business Weekly</a> that the new units will not make any big difference in terms of the national power supply. He said:
<blockquote>
Ideally Units 7 and 8 should be adding 600 MW to the exiting capacity but the problem is the frequency of breakdown of the existing plant.
Most of the units have already reached the end of their life span.
What will be churned out by the two units will be effectively replacing the current capacity and this won’t make any big difference in terms of delivering additional energy onto the national grid. 
This won’t make any big difference in terms of the national power supply. 
However, we can take comfort from the dependability or reliability of the new units as this may stabilise the power supply situation.
</blockquote>
The new units were scheduled to start operation in November last year, but both are still offline.
The Hwange Power Station comprises six units, four are 120MW units commissioned between 1983 and 1986 and the other two are 220MW units commissioned in 1987.
All six units have outlived their life spans by at least eight years.
A ZESA official was recently quoted as saying the plant is now 38 years old and its designed life is 30 years.
Energy and Power Development Minister Zhemu Soda said that the Hwange Power Station will be decommissioned after commissioning Units 7 and 8. 
More: <a href="https://zero.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

"Hwange Units 7 And 8 Will Not Make A Big Difference"

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

Energy and Power Development Minister Zhemu Soda has said the expansion of the Hwange Thermal Power Station’s Unit 7 is 99 percent complete, with only the synchronisation of the whole system set to be done.
The Unit is expected to add 300MW to the national grid upon completion.
Addressing journalists in Harare, Soda said the synchronisation will be completed anytime this month. <a href="https://www.herald.co.zw/hwange-thermal-power-station-unit-7-99-percent-complete/">The Herald</a> quoted Soda as saying:
<blockquote>
Hwange Unit 7 has actually progressed with all other systems having undergone commissioning tests and they were successful.
One of the critical stages in the commissioning of a power station is the achievement of certain revolutions of the turbine and that was achieved.
We are only left with the synchronisation of the whole system starting from where the coal is burnt, steam is produced, turbines are turned and causes the generator to produce electricity which is evacuated into the grid.
We expect that anytime from now given that the whole system is 99 percent complete; we are only left with one percent which is the synchronisation of the whole system.
</blockquote>
Work on the project started in August 2018 using an initial $199 million from China Eximbank but its completion was delayed by the outbreak of the coronavirus in late 2019.
According to the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) <a href="https://www.zpc.co.zw/">website</a>, on Monday, 13 February, Hwange Thermal Power Station was generating 378MW.

Hwange Thermal Power Station Unit 7 Now 99% Complete - Soda

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

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.
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