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Pride Mahlangu, Business Reporter

INDEPENDENT power producer, Zimbabwe Zhongxin Electrical Energy (Private) Limited, has applied for a licence to establish a 50 megawatt coal-fired thermal power plant in Hwange District, Matabeleland North province.

The Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (Zera) confirmed the application in a public notice yesterday. 

It said the proposed thermal power plant, if approved, would be established at Deka Bridge Farm in Hwange.

“The Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority has received an application from Zimbabwe Zhongxin Electrical Energy (Private) Limited to construct, own, operate and maintain a 50MW coal-fired thermal power plant at Deka Bridge                                                                           Farm, Hwange district, in Matabeleland North province,” said the authority.

“The applicant intends selling the power generated to the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC).

The project will also include the construction of approximately 15km of 88(132)Kv Double Lynx line from the proposed thermal plant to the existing Hwange330/88Kv/33Kv substation.

The energy watchdog said the licence application by Zimbabwe Zhongxing Electrical Energy (Private) Limited was done in terms of Section 42 and 46 of the Electricity Act (Chapter 13:19).

Zera has since invited stakeholders with any concern about the application for the generation licence to lodge written representations with them before 29 October this year.

Since 2010, Zera has issued over 70 IPPs with power generation licences but only a few are producing electricity citing funding constraints.

The proposal comes at a time the country is facing acute energy supply gaps with low generation capacity at Zimbabwe’s main power stations in Hwange and Kariba.

The situation has been compounded by drought conditions in the last rainfall season, which has seen water levels at Kariba Power Station dropping significantly in the last few months.

This has forced the power utility, Zesa, to implement a tight load shedding schedule. 

Zesa this month adjusted its electricity tariffs higher to mobilise sufficient funds for their operations, which will help reduce power shortages and ensure efficiency in the entity. — @pridesinstinctz