POWER utility company, Zesa has introduced a load-shedding
regime that will see some suburbs across the country going for at least 10
hours without electricity due to reduced generation at its major power
stations.
The schedule revealed that most of the shedding will be
implemented during the morning and evening peak period of 5am to 10am and 5pm
to 10pm.
“However, the durations may be longer in the event of increases
in power shortfall to avoid collapse of the National Electric Grid,” Zesa said
in a statement.
Zesa said the measures were taken because of increased
power shortfall which has resulted in demand outstripping supply.
“The Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution
Company is experiencing increase power shortfall in demand and supply mismatch
due to lower water levels at Kariba Power Station, generation constraints at
Hwange Power Station and limited imports.,” said Zesa.
In an interview, Zesa spokesman Mr Fullard Gwasira defended
the move by his company, saying if load shedding is not implemented, the
country could be plunged into total darkness by October.
He said the most affected was Kariba Power Station where
water levels in the lake have drastically gone down.
“We had very little in terms of rainfall influence into the
lake and we have reached a point whereby the power generation has scaled down,
if we do not scale down we may have to shut down the entire situation around
October because we won’t be having water,” he said.
Mr Gwasira said unless Kariba Dam catchment areas in Zambia
and the Democratic Republic of Congo receive rains, the situation would be
dire.
“Kariba is a hydro station and requires water so up until
there are significant inflows into the lake the current generation pattern will
subsist. The patterns that we depend on are not from Zimbabwe, it is from
Zambia and DRC. Their significant rainfall upkeep should be able to rejuvenate
the situation as the year progresses.”
He added, “Load shedding is a function of demand and
supply. Whenever we have power available our mandate is to provide electricity
to the generality of our population. We do not like load shedding but quite the
contrary, we want to maximise shareholder value by generating as much as
possible.
If the situation deteriorates further we have to go to
Stage 2. It’s a function of how much power is available, how much is being used
and how much can be given at a particular time.”
On Friday, Zesa also announced that considerable generation
capacity has been lost due to dwindling water levels at the giant Kariba
Hydro-Power Station and ageing equipment at the four main thermal stations.
The addition of 300 megawatts to the national grid last
year after the expansion of Kariba South Hydro Power plant had stabilised the
electricity supply situation in the country.
“While normal generation has been subsisting up to now, the
Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) has reduced water allocation to ZPC from 19
billion cubic metres to 16 billion cubic metres for 2019. This is to enable the
plant to be operational until the next rainy season.
“To this end, electricity generation at Kariba Power
Station will thus be reduced to an average of 358MW from the planned average of
542MW as a direct result of this water allocation reduction and this has led to
a power supply gap,” said Zesa.
Zimbabwe last experienced load shedding several years ago. Sunday News
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