Joy As Zesa Ramps Up Power Supply

Hwange Thermal Power Station

Blessings Chidakwa Herald Reporter

Zimbabweans have welcomed improved electricity supply across the country after Hwange Thermal Power Station started performing at its best in the last week, generating 740 megawatts as of yesterday, a 10-fold increase on the mere 74MW that was being generated late February. The increased power generation has brought joy to both domestic and industrial consumers who had been enduring long hours of load-shedding since the last quarter of 2022 The continued improvement in power generation helps Zimbabwe reduce electricity imports and ease power cuts, which drive increased industrial production as there is guaranteed electricity supply, a key economic enabler and driver towards realisation of Vision 2030. As the country pushes to replicate the 2022 wheat season of achieving flour self-sufficiency, the Government has already assured farmers of uninterrupted power supplies during the winter wheat season as Zimbabwe aims at maintaining self-sufficiency. Power cuts have been common in the Sadc region because of a generation gap brought about by increased demand as more homes and industries are being connected to regional grids. New connections have not been met by corresponding development of new power stations or expansion of existing ones, leading to supply deficits. However, power cuts in Zimbabwe are set to significantly decrease as one of the Second Republic’s signature projects, the Hwange Thermal Power Station Unit 7, which was undergoing synchronisation process is now feeding in the national grid. The situation is set to further improve with the coming on stream of Unit 8 this year, which will add 300MW to the national grid. Depressed output at Kariba South due to low water levels had also worsened the situation, but all is now a thing of the past as both domestic and industrial users are experiencing steady supply of the electricity. ReadMore