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THE Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) says it is waiting for its application for National Project Status (NPS) for the Bulawayo Repowering Project to be approved for it to start implementing the project.

“An application for National Project Status was made and a response is awaited,” said ZETDC in a recent projects update document seen by BH24.

Approval for such status would mean — among other things — that the contractors will be able to bring in the requisite plant and equipment for the project duty-free.

But the awaiting for the NPS to be approved could be the only factor delaying the full commencement of the project.According to ZETDC the $120 million project now has a timeline of 2017- 2019.

The Bulawayo Repowering Project entails the replacement of existing boilers with the newer CFBC technology, as well as refurbishment of turbo-alternator plant and “other auxiliaries”.

The project will also include the rehabilitation of Khami Pumping Station and Water Treatment Plant and Construction of a raw water pipeline from Khami Dam to Bulawayo Power Station. Despite the fact that the project has not commenced ZETDC chief executive Mr Josh Chifamba told a Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines and Energy in December that some key steps in respect of the project were already underway.

“Topographical surveys for the Khami raw water pipeline were completed, and geographical surveys for the power plant and the raw water pipeline are in progress,” he said.

“A water supply agreement was negotiated between Bulawayo City Council and ZPC (Zimbabwe Power Company) and is at signature stage.”

The project is expected to boost generation at the Bulawayo Power Station by an additional 90 megawatts (MW), which will be fed onto the national grid to boost power the country’s supply.

Due to depressed generation capacity from all the country’s power stations, the country is producing between 1000 MW and 1 200MW a day against a national demand of 1 400MW. If granted the NPS, the Bulawayo Repowering Project would not be the first energy project in the country to receive such a status.

In 2015, Government conferred a National Project Status to Swiss-based solar solutions firm The Meeco group’s local unit Oursun energy for its 230MW solar project in Mashonaland East. — BH24.