Zimbabwe’s Power Plants Generating 324MW In Total

Source: Zimbabwe’s Power Plants Generating 324MW In Total

Zimbabwe’s thermal power generation dropped significantly on Tuesday 28 February 2023, with Hwange Thermal Power Station producing only 74 megawatts (MW) against the 920MW installed capacity.

The three small thermal stations – Bulawayo, Harare, and Munyati had zero output.

Hwange Power Station is the largest coal-fired power station in Zimbabwe with 920MW installed capacity which comprises 4x120MW and 2×220 MW units.

According to power generation figures from the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC), Hwange Thermal Station production levels fell to 74MW. As a result, households are going for more than 16 hours without power.

Kariba South Hydropower Station was producing 250MW due to low water levels in the dam. The power plant has 1 050MW installed capacity.

Meanwhile, Hwange Power Station has been prone to breakdowns as most of its units are old.

On Monday 27 February, Hwange generated 75MW down from 168MW and 139 MW on Friday and Thursday last week respectively.

Early in the month, Hwange alone contributed about 384MW to the national grid.

Hwange units 7 and 8 are each expected to feed 300MW into the national grid when completed. It is not known when the two units will come on stream.

According to reports, Zimbabwe has a peak electricity demand of 1 600MW.