The country is failing to generate enough electricity to
meet demand owing to a combination of factors, including low water levels at
Kariba Dam because of drought.
The Kariba hydropower plant, with a total capacity of 1,050
megawatts (MW), has seen its dependable capacity drop to as low as less than
100 megawatts.
Ordinary citizens are bearing the brunt of prolonged power
cuts while businesses have been left counting losses as they are forced to use
expensive back up power alternatives such as generators.
Last week, there was a national blackout as the electricity
crisis deepened, but authorities attributed the outages to an imbalance of
power on international connectors.
Zesa Holdings executive chairman, Sydney Gata, has ruled
out a quick fix to the energy crisis citing foreign currency shortages to cover
the shortfalls.
“More than 50% of our dependable capacity has been wiped
out. This is the main reason behind load shedding,” Gata told journalists
during a press briefing.
“The other factor is that power inputs to supplement the
deficit are expensive and they demand foreign currency.
“We do not have enough foreign currency to make up for the
deficit.”
As of yesterday, the country was generating 869 MW split as
695 from Hwange, Kariba 124 MW and independent power producers 50MW.
In July, Zimbabwe turned to South Africa and Mozambique, to
import 200 megawatts of electricity to alleviate the country’s power shortage.
In December last year, the country said it had cut
electricity imports after the 300-megawatt Hwange power plant was commissioned.
Gata ruled out an end to power outages in the near future,
despite repeating in previous several reports that the country would end load
shedding in 2025.
In July 2023, the government announced an end to load
shedding.
Gata repeated in previous claims that 18 new power
stations, collectively adding 4 600 MW of capacity, were under construction and
set to commence by 2025.
“The results will start to show by the middle of next
year,” he said.
He said there was also a need to replace 24 000 kilometers
of underground cables and overhead conductors.
Energy and Power Development minister Edgar Moyo announced
ambitious plans to adopt nuclear energy to address the country’s power
shortages. Standard
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