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Sikhumbuzo Moyo, [email protected]

ZIMBABWE and Zambia were plunged into darkness on Sunday evening due to systemic disruptions in the countries’ national electricity grids.

Darkness enveloped both countries from about 8pm and persisted until yesterday morning as authorities worked to restore power.

The Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) issued an apology for the inconvenience and expressed appreciation for the quick and efficient efforts of the engineers involved in rectifying the issue.

“We regret to advice our valued customers that the national grid experienced a system disturbance last night, resulting in a system blackout. Our engineers reacted and began the restoration process. We are happy to advice that as of this morning (yesterday), most of the load centres have been picked countrywide. We sincerely apologise for the inconvenience caused,” said ZETDC on its X account.

Zambia’s power utility, Zesco Limited, confirmed a similar incident, citing a power system disturbance that occurred at 8.15pm.

Zesco

“The corporation is working diligently to resolve the unplanned outage and power supply restoration is underway. We regret the unplanned loss of supply and seek our customers’ support and patience,” stated Zesco acting managing director, Engineer Justin Loongo.

Both countries depend heavily on the Kariba Dam for hydroelectric power. However, the ongoing El Niño-induced drought has drastically reduced water levels in the dam, impacting its capacity to generate electricity.

According to the Zambezi River Authority (ZRA), the usable water level for power generation as of November 11 stood at 476,03 metres, slightly above the operational minimum of 475,50m, but well below the level recorded during the same period last year.

In Zimbabwe, the Hwange Thermal Power Station has been a critical alternative, with its installed capacity recently raised to 1 520MW following the addition of Units 7 and 8, which contribute a combined 600MW. However, a technical fault at the facility has exacerbated the power supply situation.

The Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (Zesa) has assured the nation that efforts are underway to resolve the fault and mitigate the economic impact of the power outages.

Zesa

Officially opening the inaugural Zimbabwe-Zambia (Zim-Zam) Energy Projects Summit in Victoria Falls last week, Vice President Constantino Chiwenga said renewable energy will play a central role in the two countries’ energy transition. He noted that Zimbabwe and Zambia are well-positioned to lead the charge in renewable energy with vast untapped resources in solar, wind, and hydro.

He said these natural resources must be utilised sustainably, efficiently and equitably to meet the growing energy demands of the population.

VP Chiwenga told the delegates that the summit came at a time when the energy sector is at the centre of global discussions on energy security, economic development, sustainability and the urgent need for transformative change. He also stressed the importance of policy development to attract renewable energy investments, noting the critical role of public-private partnerships in financing energy projects.

Both Zimbabwe and Zambia are committed to providing accessible and affordable energy for all by 2030 to improve livelihoods and support industrial growth.

VP Chiwenga noted that harnessing abundant solar resources could position the countries as net power exporters to regional markets through mechanisms like the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP).

The ZRA is exploring floating solar and pumped storage projects on the Zambezi Basin and Kariba Dam. These initiatives will enhance national energy security and position both nations as key players in the regional energy market.
Zimbabwe has made significant strides in establishing a comprehensive policy and institutional framework aimed at ensuring the country meets its energy goals by 2030.

The country is implementing the National Renewable Energy and Biofuels policies, both established in 2019, to increase the share of renewable energy in the national energy mix and cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Cabinet also recently approved the National Energy Efficiency Policy, intended to guide energy efficiency programmes and projects throughout the country.

Last week, Zesa executive chairman, Dr Sydney Gata, outlined a range of initiatives that are in the pipeline aimed at delivering universal access to electricity for all citizens.

Some of the projects that will add power to the national grid include the 800MW Hwange re-powering project that is being developed by Indian firm, Jindal, and will be completed by December next year. This project will bring all six older units at Hwange back onto the grid in full force. At present, the six units are working at less than half their optimal capacity.

In addition, there are eight private stations being built. The private 720MW Titan project, the 300MW Zhong Jin Heli project and the 270MW ZZE project, all in Hwange, are set to be delivered by end of next year.

Elsewhere, the private Jinan 200MW station in Gweru, the 100MW Xintai station in Beitbridge, the 100MW Afrochine station in Chegutu, the 100MW Dingneng Solar station in Manhize, and the 100MW Dingneng Solar project in Mamina, are also set to come on stream and add to the grid.

All these projects, said Dr Gata, would be delivered by December next year, adding to the current dependable 1 500MW national capacity to make it 4 190MW.