200MW wind power plant earmarked for Mangwe
A WHOLLY owned Zimbabwean company working on renewable energy projects — Optate Africa intends to set up a 200-megawatt (MW) wind power plant in Mayobodo, Mangwe, in Plumtree and has sought a 25-year lease from Mangwe Rural District Council for 100 hectares of land to set up the plant.
The project to be carried out in partnership with GE, a turbine manufacturing and development company entails the development, financing, construction, testing, commissioning, operation and maintenance of a 200MW wind farm.
The entity seeks to increase Zimbabwe’s generation capacity by exploiting its vast renewable energy potential and aid the country to meet its power demand in the process reduce the dependence on fossil fuel for electricity generation and move to a more balanced and environmentally sustainable energy mix.
Also referred to as wind power, wind energy entails the use of wind turbines to generate electricity that is fed into main grids or to isolated, and off-grid locations with a much smaller impact on the environment compared to fossil fuels.
This is a popular, sustainable, renewable energy source across the world that provides steadier energy and the local energy regulator once hinted at wind resource measurement in the middle veld from south to north-eastern parts of the country.
According to Optate Africa, the project results will be measured by the number of MW installed, the number of residential customers that will benefit from the electricity supplied and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions avoided on an annual basis.
The entity has expressed its intention to lease 100 hectares of land to set up the plant through a 25-year lease with Mangwe Rural District Council.
“Notice is hereby given in terms of Section 71 of Rural District Council Act (Chapter 29:13) that Mangwe Rural District Council intends to lease an area of 100 hectares to Optate Africa for a period of 25 years for the purpose of setting up a renewable energy project. The project area is in Mangwe district,” reads part of the notice by Mangwe council.
“A fraction of the power generated by the project will be sold to the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC) under a 25-year Power Purchase Agreement and the other part supplied to the Southern African Power Pool (Sapp),” the firm said on its website.
It notes that the use of wind power has a light environmental footprint compared to the much more serious effects of electricity generation using coal, which promotes climate change and disturbs the natural balance.
“Sikhoveni has improved its pass rate and if it continues it will be ranked among the best schools in the region. Education is a lifetime investment and we hope to see the pass rate improvement cascading to other schools in the Umzingwane district,” he said.
Brig-Gen (Rtd) Mayihlome said children of school-going age in various districts of Matabeleland South are set to benefit from the literacy support programme being spearheaded by Isibonelo Esihle Education Trust.
The organisation assists needy schools with reading materials and other educational requirements in an effort to improve the quality of education.
“Education is a necessary tool in life and it prevents youths from engaging in delinquent behaviour such as drug and substance abuse. The youth must realise that a lot can be achieved through education. You are our future leaders hence the need for you to take education seriously,” said Brig Gen (Rtd) Mayihlome.
Isibonelo Esihle Education Trust project co-ordinator Mr Forgive Flames Sibanda said the organisation’s move was driven by a poor pass rate in public examinations, a development which he attributed to a lack of reading materials and e-learning gadgets.
Mr Sibanda said the trust was complementing Government efforts to improve the pass rate of schools in rural areas.
“We have been donating books, tablets and other educational requirements to Sikhoveni Secondary as we strive to improve the school’s pass rate,” he said.