Harare, (New Ziana) –Zimbabwe has been recording a sharp rise in the consumption of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), highlighting a shift by small businesses and households toward affordable, cleaner cooking energy as electricity outages persist.
The Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) said this in the 2024 energy sector report, whose data reflect a significant increase in energy demand and growing reliance on both fossil and alternative energy sources.
The report is expected to inform future Government policy on energy pricing, infrastructure development, and private sector participation across the energy value chain.
Overall, the reports points to rising investment in the energy sector by private players and a surge in diesel consumption as confirmed by the number of fuel retailers in the sector.
According to the report, uptake of LPG last year surged to 77 million kilograms, driven largely by urban demand and ZERA’s ongoing efforts to promote clean energy alternatives.
“LPG gas use is growing fast, with 2024 imports at 77.44 million kg, up 17 percent from 66.11 million kg in 2023,” ZERA said.
ZERA cautioned on the upswing in illegal LPG distribution, with recent enforcement operations resulting in the confiscation and destruction of more than 200 unlicensed gas cylinders.
According to the report, there was a marked improvement in electricity generation. “Electricity supply for the year totalled 11 082 gigawatt-hours, representing improved local generation and import performance compared to previous years, despite ongoing challenges in hydroelectric output at Kariba and inefficiencies at thermal power stations. Electricity supply averaged 1 300MW, far short of the estimated 1 700MW demand. Power imports decreased from 1 982GWh in 2023 to 1 252GWh in 2024, following the commissioning of Hwange Units 7 and 8 late in 2023,” said ZERA.
The energy regulator continues to bring on board more Independent Power Producers (IPPs) to complement state-owned companies and will ensure that they take off into the national grid or supply viable off-takers.
In 2024, ZERA issued 20 electricity generation licences, with a potential capacity to generate 786MW, with 16 of them solar projects while others are for retail supply of electricity.
Despite some IPPs experiencing challenges to reach the financial closure stage for their projects, others have since been commissioned, with the latest being the 25MW Centragrid in Nyabira, about 34 km north-west of Harare on the main road and railway line from Harare to Chinhoyi in Mashonaland West province.
Meanwhile, ZERA reported that the number of licensed fuel retail companies more than quadrupled from 229 in 2012 to 996 last year and the regulator inspected 1 024 fuel sites in 2024 to check on the quality.
At least 38 of the inspected sites were shut down after being found with contaminated fuel. With Zimbabwe importing 1.794 billion litres of fuel last year, up from 1.73 billion litres the previous year, ZERA said the high fuel import volumes demonstrate rising industrial and commercial activity, along with increased vehicle ownership and transportation demand.
“The report highlights key metrics that underscore the growth, diversification, and evolving consumption patterns within Zimbabwe’s energy sector,” it said. ZERA said its strategic focus remains on enhancing energy access, supporting investment in renewables, and ensuring regulatory compliance to build a secure and sustainable energy future.
New Ziana
