Hwange Units 1 To Six To Add Additional 350MW

Harare (New Ziana)-The government’s plans to upgrade units 1 to 6 at Hwange Power Station will add an additional 350 megawatts of power, a move expected to help alleviate current electricity supply challenges, Energy and Power Development permanent secretary, Gloria Magombo has said.

The government has announced plans upgrade the six units at the power station following the successful commissioning of refurbished Units 7 and 8 early this year.

The additional electricity is expected to go a long way in easing power shortages currently being
experienced in the country.

Magombo told legislators during a pre-budget seminar that resources allowing, upgrading Hwange
Unit 1 to six would take at least two years.

“The repowering of Hwange 1 to six will unlock an additional 350MW which is a low hanging fruit
and can be completed within two years,” she said.

“We also see the coming in of Independent Power Producers unlocking an additional 1 000MW,”she
added.

Currently, the country is experiencing depressed power supplies as the new Hwange 7 and 8 units
with an installed capacity of 600MW are undergoing a 30-day statutory maintenance session.

Magombo said her ministry would require ZWL$2 billion for its energy infrastructure projects aimed
at increasing the country’s power generation capacity.

“We need ZWL$2 billion for us to be able to increase generation by almost 2 000MW in the next five
years to help alleviate the energy deficit. We need to come up with innovations to fundraise towards
the energy infrastructure,” she said.

Chair of the parliamentary portfolio committee on energy, Leslie Mhangwa pleaded with treasury to
fund the ministry adequately in the 2024 budget.

The ministry bid for $192 billion in the 2024 budget but was given a cap of $68 billion.

“I hope the Finance Minister will say we give you everything that you need because you are the
engine for growth but unfortunately our allocation is at 35.6 percent. It is our hope that the minister
fully adopts the budget and gives us tools of the trade to fully equip us to tackle this electricity
quagmire,” he said.

New Ziana