No need for panic on electricity situation: ED

PRESIDENT Mnangagwa has said the country is working on increasing by threefold its internal power generation to avoid throttling growth taking place in industry and over reliance on power imports.

Under the Second Republic, 52,75 percent of the population is enjoying access to electricity, a jump from 44,18 percent in 2017. In 2018, access to electricity rose to 45,75 percent and by 2019 the figure rose to 46,78 percent and is expected to keep soaring.

President Mnangagwa highlighted this in his weekly column published in this paper, and said preliminary results of the population and housing census showed an increase in population, highlighting that key policy interventions around the energy sector were imperative, seeing the steady growth being made by the economy.

“Electricity and other forms of sustainable energy are key enablers to economic growth, and to national development. Access to clean power is linked to seven Millennium Development Goals, including improved maternal health, reduced child mortality, eradication of extreme poverty and hunger and attainment of universal primary education. This means our energy profile as a country is a key indicator in terms of how well we fare in respect of our set national goals. Clean energy availability and access is thus one key way of reading our economy, and our progress as a nation,” he said.

He also said there was high demand for energy in the country which outweighs supply.

“The economy is growing quite rapidly. With this economic growth, the demand is fast outstripping supply. As I write, Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (Zesa), is sitting on power applications totalling 2 100MW, all requiring power under three years from now in 2025. This is more than double our current installed generation capacity, and far more than actual daily supply,” he said.

The President said the mining sector was one of the largest consumers of energy that required more supply.

“Even more unsettling is the fact that the bulk of the demand for power is coming from the mining sector, including from projects for key minerals like gold, platinum, chrome, coal, diamonds and lithium, as well as from smelters we badly need for beneficiation and for triggering domestic industrial value chains. We thus just have to increase our internal power generation, possibly threefold, if we are to avoid throttling our growth, and if we are to lessen our dependence on power imports,” said President Mnangagwa.

He said access to electricity must continue to increase as rural areas are roped in, also highlighting that there was room for improving the power situation in the country.

This week, the Head of State said he will be in Mozambique and will also travel to Zambia where the country imports the rest of its power saying the engagements with the two sister countries will ensure the county has a stable supply of electricity.

“This week I am paying a working visit to the sister Republic of Mozambique. In the coming weeks I am likely to meet President Hichilema of Zambia in Livingstone. Both sister countries supply us with power. I will engage my colleagues with a view to ensuring our power imports are secure and uninterrupted. There is thus no need for panic, or for individual arrangements by corporates. Government will ensure that our economy’s energy needs are fully met, both through internal power generation and through gapfilling imports. However, the upside of the current power shortage is the rapid growth of our economy. This is something worth celebrating as we search for ways of plugging any gaps in power supply,” he said.

Zimbabwe has an installed electricity capacity of 2 000 megawatts. Of this capacity, Kariba, which is the largest source of the country’s power, generates about 1 050MW, with Hwange accounting for 920MW when fully functional. Hwange is expected to supply an additional 600MW, taking the installed capacity to 2 600MW. There are other small thermal power stations which also add to the total generation capacity. With an existing power demand of 1 500MW, Zimbabwe is set to enjoy a surplus once Hwange seven and eight start coming to the stream before end of the year. (To read the full article by the President turn to page 4) — @NyembeziMu