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Business Reporter

THE development of the 42km pipeline project that connects Deka High Lift Pump Station to Hwange Power Station is 71,2 percent complete and on track to meet final completion deadline by March next year, the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) has said.

The pipeline project is critical to enhanced operationalisation of the Hwange Thermal Power Station, which is being boosted with 600MW capacity under a US$1.4 billion investment.

The scope of the project also includes the refurbishment of Hwange Water Treatment Plant and provision of three tap-off points for supply of raw water to the Deka community.

The project officially commenced in October last year and is being funded to the tune of US$48,1 million from a line of credit extended by India to Zimbabwe.

In a statement accompanying its updates for the third quarter ended 30 September 2022, the power utility said the Deka project was progressing very well.

“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 dim, pipe welding has begun,” said ZPC.

“ZPC secured US$310 million from the Export-Import (EXIM) Bank of India to rehabilitate Hwange Power Station. 

“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.” 

The upgrading of the Deka pipeline is meant to improve capacity of the Deka pumping station and rehabilitating the river intake system to increase raw water supply to Hwange Power Station.

During the period under review, ZPC said the country experienced depressed energy generation at the thermal stations due to numerous forced outages. 

This saw a total of 2 258,79GWh being sent out in the third quarter of the year, thereby missing the target, which was set at 2 444,02GWh by 7,58 percent.

However, the company said for the period January to September 2022, ZPC managed to send out 6 727,82GWh surpassing the target set at 6 621,62GWh by 1,6 percent. 

“The small thermals produced a total of 41A 7GWh of energy, falling 29,09 percent short of the quarterly target of 58,48GWh,” it said. 

“This was due to low plant availability and coal stock outs, which resulted in generation loss,” said the power company. 

“During the quarter, Kariba South Power Station had 7 units available for peak generation, and as such, the station exceeded its quarterly target by 9,17 percent. 

“The hydro power station’s output for the quarter under review was 2,53 percent higher than the output in the same period last year.”

The company said this was due to an increase in water allocation by Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) from 15 billion cubic metres in 2021 to 22,5 billion cubic metres in 2022. 

It revealed that Kariba Power Station consumed 20,413m³ for power generation as of the end of Q3 2022, compared to a target of 17,4Bm³, leaving the station with 2,1Bm³ of generation capacity for the remainder of the year. 

“The Hwange Expansion Project Unit 7 is expected to be synchronised to the grid by the end of this year,” said ZPC.