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Nqobile Tshili, [email protected]

ZIMBABWE must diversify its energy sources to address the country’s persistent power deficit, as the nation continues to bear the consequences of relying heavily on hydro-power.

Experts say an energy mix incorporating solar, hydro, thermal, wind, and other sources would reduce dependence on any single power generation method and enhance energy security.

The country has suffered significant energy losses due to climate-related challenges, with Kariba Power Station alone losing over 800 megawatts (MW) in the past year.

This shortfall has intensified load shedding, affecting households and industries alike. The country primarily relies on thermal and hydro-power stations for electricity generation, but recent investments by Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and private sector organisations in renewable energy offer a glimmer of hope for the future.

The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Energy and Power Development recently conducted an inquiry into the state of the country’s electricity supply.

ZETDC

Presenting the committee’s findings before the National Assembly on Tuesday, Mangwe Constituency legislator Mr Vincent Sihlabo highlighted the urgent need for energy diversification.

He said the power deficit poses a serious threat to the country’s economic growth and energy mix could be a solution to Zimbabwe’s electricity challenges.

“The escalating impacts of climate change underscore the urgent need for substantial investments in infrastructure and renewable energy sources. Fortunately, Zimbabwe is endowed with abundant renewable resources, including solar and hydro-power which offer a promising path towards addressing the country’s energy supply challenges,” said Mr Sihlabo.

“By harnessing these resources, Zimbabwe can enhance its energy security, reduce reliance on fossil fuels and stimulate economic development.”

Mr Sihlabo said the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (Zesa) told the committee that Zimbabwe is still facing serious power outages as most of the country’s power stations are not producing to full capacity.

“The committee noted that the major challenge is that all power plants are not producing their optimum capacity. In addition, Zimbabwe Power Company pointed out that Kariba South Power Station is producing 250MW only, Hwange power station is producing 750MW and IPPs are adding 69MW, making a total of 1 079MW which cannot sustain the whole nation yet the nation’s demand is from 1 500MW to 2 350MW,” he said.

Mr Sihlabo said the committee noted that the country needs to come up with long-term strategies to boost power generation.
He said the committee was informed that aging of infrastructure, vandalism of power infrastructure, high costs of servicing loans, and skills flight were some of the challenges that the country is facing.

“According to Zesa Holdings, they have a huge loan burden in renovating some of the units, Kariba South Power Station which amounts to US$350 million. Zesa created a huge debt burden on the utility, including foreign currency commitments for loan repayments and spare parts purchases.

“Management added that repayments need to be done in foreign currency and they have resorted to exporting power to generate foreign currency,” he said.

Mr Sihlalo said Zesa management added that there is a shortage of skilled personnel in the electricity sector resulting in a lack of technical expertise and they cited that over the last two years, they have struggled to retain critical skills for the efficient running of the electricity generation plants.”

Hydro Power Station

Mr Sihlabo said the committee observed that the country is heavily dependent on Kariba Power Station, which has proved to be unsustainable.

He said the committee recommends that the country invest in an energy mix to effectively address power shortages.
“The Ministry of Energy and Power Development should diversify the energy mix to mitigate the impact of water constraints on hydroelectric power and enhance overall system reliability by 31 December 2026,” said Mr Sihlalo.

He said there should be a strategic balance between base-load power sources such as thermal and nuclear and renewable energy like solar, wind, and geothermal.

Mr Sihlabo said the Ministry of Energy and Power Development should invest in renewable energy projects to complement private sector efforts and address the funding constraints observed by year-end.

He said the committee also recommends that the Treasury should timely disburse funds to service loans for power projects to ease Zimbabwe’s history of debt servicing challenges to improve the country’s creditworthiness and facilitate access to affordable energy financing.

The committee also recommends that the Ministry of Energy and Power Development implement stringent contract management protocols.