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Nqobile Bhebhe, [email protected]

Resuscitation of Bulawayo Power Station Boiler 6 is expected to be complete by the end of this month in the process improving the station availability and reliability and add an average of 20 megawatts.

The city electricity demand used to be 320 megawatts when industry was fully operational but the current demand is 180 megawatts.

However, the city is receiving 140 megawatts.

A report presented on Monday during a Provincial Development Committee meeting held at Mhlahlandlela Complex where Government departments took stock of the achievements that the Second Republic made in the past five years outlined various electricity projects undertaken in the city by the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC).

It said power supply in Bulawayo is set to improve with the completion of Boiler 6 resuscitation.

“Bulawayo demand used to be 320 megawatts when the industry was fully operational but as of now, the demand is 180MW  but currently, we are getting 140 megawatts. Bulawayo Power Station has been on and off the grid. This is mainly due to aged equipment. Resuscitation of Boiler 6 is currently underway, being anticipated to be completed by the end of August.

“This will improve the station’s availability and reliability. When generating, it produces an average of 20 MW,” reads part of the report.

It noted that the refurbishment project is on hold pending the finalisation of the best option to utilise the funds with the option of diverting funds to Hwange refurbishment being considered.

The continued improvement in power generation will help Zimbabwe reduce electricity imports and ease power cuts, which will drive increased industrial production as there will be a guaranteed electricity supply, a key economic enabler and driver towards realisation of national goals in line with Vision 2030.

The recent coming on stream and commissioning of Hwange Power Station units 7 and 8 by President Mnangagwa has significantly reduced load shedding across the country.

The US$1,5 billion Hwange expansion project is the country’s biggest energy investment project since independence in 1980 and among the largest energy projects in Africa in the past two decades.

Players in the business and energy sector, however, project that the country will need to boost electricity supplies to 2 350MW by 2025 to meet demand, especially from the mining sector.

The country’s economy is on a rebound due to various policies initiated by the Government that have seen growth in the mining and agricultural sectors.

Several other power generation projects in the country are either underway, on the drawing board or are about to start. Among them is the rehabilitation of Hwange units 1 to 6 to be financed by a US$310 million Indian financing facility that has already been secured.

The report outlines that the US$1,3 million Pumula South 16 panel 11kV indoor board has received the board project approval.

The London Road power transformer with a budget of US$ 581 000 has seen a power transformer installed. Commissioning is in progress. To date US$ 350 000 has been released for the project.

Another project estimated at US$1,9 million that has board approval is the Glenville Substation 20 MVA transformer and 16 panel 11kV indoor board. 

At present, works on transformer and 11kV indoor board specifications are ongoing.