Electricity supply has improved from Stage 2 to Stage 1 of load shedding after the government unlocked imports of 400 megawatts (MW) from ESKOM by the end of last week according to information coming from the cabinet briefing that took place yesterday.
Stage one load shedding consists of 8 hours without electricity a day whilst stage two has up to 15 hours in darkness.
“This positive development should help boost economic activities in the economy in general as well as bring greater convenience to our citizens and stakeholders,” a cabinet report says.
“Efforts are now on negotiations with HCB of Mozambique for the supply of additional power imports with a view to ensuring a return to normalcy in terms of power supply.”
Zimbabwe is currently having power shortages caused by low water at Kariba dam and the breakdown of outdated equipment at Hwange Thermal power stations and other minor-government own electricity generating plants.
To increase the production of power in Zimbabwe, government authorities have been calling out private players to add more electricity into the national grid.
The government has been issuing licenses with a combined worth of 8000 MW to investors according to the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) Acting Chief Executive Officer Eddington Mazambani.
“Some holders of licences for power generation projects have since been issued with show-cause orders for them to explain why their licences should not be withdrawn over inordinate delays in the implementation of the projects,” reads information from yesterday’s cabinet briefing.
Private players are however allowed to only sells their energy output to the government.
Data from Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) shows that the African country is getting, including from imports 631 MW as of 15 August 2019.
The Hwange Thermal Power Station is producing in MW 421, Kariba, 80-200, Harare plant 16 and Bulawayo 18. The Munyati power plant is not producing anything.
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