Published: 27 November 2013

NAMIBIA'S power utility, NamPower, has expressed an interest in funding the repowering of Bulawayo and Harare thermal power stations, a development expected to improve electricity generation in the country. Due to operational constraints facing Zimbabwe's energy sector, the country has in recent years not been able to meet the national demand of 2 200 megawatts.

The Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) on its website indicated that as of yesterday the country's generation stood at 1 016MW with Bulawayo and Harare contributing 22MW and 35MW respectively.

"NamPower has shown interest in the repowering projects and have given an indication that they are in a position to fund the Harare and Bulawayo power stations repowering projects.

"This development is still at its initial stages, but so far, a consultant has been appointed to carry out a due diligence study on the project, and we will be giving you more details once an agreement has been signed," said the ZPC board chairman Mr Victor Gapare in a statement.

The two projects require more than $100 million.

He said adjudications for the repowering of Harare Power Station were in progress adding that the project was expected to have taken off by October next year.

Bulawayo Thermal Power Station was commissioned between 1947 and 1957 as an undertaking by the Bulawayo City Council.

The power plant was incorporated into Zesa in 1987 following the amalgamation of all the Local Authority Electricity Undertakings, the Electricity Supply Commission power station at Munyati and Hwange, and the Central African Power Corporation station at Kariba.

Unbundling of business units has resulted in the plant joining Zimbabwe Power Company.

While Bulawayo Power Station initially had an installed capacity of 120MW, a refurbishment exercise in 1999 on the ageing plant gave it a new lease of life. The station capacity is now 90MW.
- chronicle

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