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2015 under the Medium Term Plan.
The MTP is Government’s new economic policy crafted to guide annual national budgets and economic policy frameworks for the period 2011 to 2015.
Ramping up power output is deemed key to the country’s quest for sustainable economic recovery, growth and development.
Plans to increase power generation come on the back of crippling power shortages as national power demand, at 2 200MW, far outstrips supply.
The MTP seeks to restore power output at Hwange to installed capacity, lease small thermals to raise supply by 290MW, ensure use of prepaid meters by 2012 and effect demand side management to save 300MW by 2013.
As such, the MTP envisages raising output at Kariba to 1 050MW, Hwange 1 520MW, Harare 100MW, Bulawayo 90MW and Munyati 100MW by 2015.
“The first two years of the MTP will ensure Kariba and Hwange power stations are restored to full capacity and that small thermal power stations are operational.
“Restoring capacity to 1 960MW will require rehabilitation of the Hwange Thermal Power Station and smaller thermal units to capacity,” reads the MTP.
But the plan reckons raising output will be met with constraints related to billing, collection of revenue from power consumers, lack of funding, old equipment, infrastructure and debt issues.
Undercapitalisation of the power utility Zesa Holdings and inadequate specialised skills and tools for planning and forecasting the energy needs were also identified as major obstacles.
The plan will work on addressing regulatory and legal issues seen as detrimental to efforts targeted at ameliorating the national power shortage.
The MTP also seeks to review legal and regulatory frameworks governing the energy sector, strengthen the regulator for viable power tariff setting and regulation of power producers and consumers. This would also include ensuring stiffer penalties on offenders by reviewing existing legislation on theft and vandalism of power infrastructure and enacting legislation to deal with environmental impact certification.
Despite the self-evident need for increased power output the country has struggled to attract significant investment into the power sector.
Against this backdrop measures will be put in place to promote investment in the power sector starting with setting up of an energy regulation body.
There will also be review of systems and processes in commercial operations to enhance billing, revenue collection, cash management and customer service.
Various technologies will be explored such as solar and wind energy, incentives to promote and explore viability and capacity for low carbon economy and creation of conditions for competitive power market.
Further, environmentally friendly biofuels will be considered as part of efforts to reduce dependence on fossil energy generation and expensive imported power.