Zim’s new power plant to feed 25MW into national grid

HARARE - A 13-kilometre power line linking Zimbabwe Zhongxin Electrical Energy (Private) Limited’s new plant in Hwange and Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) is being installed in readiness to start feeding the initial 25MW of electricity into the national grid in the next two months.

The imminent commencement of coal-fired power generation will be done under the 50MW Phase One of the 320MW project.

The first phase is estimated to cost about US$10 million.

Zimbabwe ZhongXin Electric Energy (ZZEE) Private Limited, is one of the independent power producers working on key development projects in Matabeleland North Province, which are expected to drive increased investments into the province and the country at large.

According to the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA), which granted ZZEE the licence to construct, own, operate the new plant on the outskirts of

Hwange town, the project involves installation of approximately 15km of an 88 (132) Kv double lynx line from the proposed thermal plant to the existing ZPC Hwange 330/88Kv/33Kv substation.

President Emmerson Mnangagwa conducted a tour of the project with Cabinet ministers in July last year where he expressed optimism that Matabeleland North Province was poised to lead in the socio-economic transformation of the country through initiatives such as electricity generation and water projects.

Energy efficiency is a key investment attraction and by 2023 Zimbabwe is targeting to be a net exporter of power with several new power projects in Matabeleland North expected to have been fully implemented. We will do this testing exercise for a month to allow adjustment of our equipment and thereafter we can start feeding power to the national grid. We want to start with the first 25MW unit.”