GWERU - Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) has missed its power production target by 4,05 percent from the initial 4758,13 GWh to 4565,41 GWh during the first half of the year due to a number of challenges.
ZPC engineer, Fungai Sakubvutwa said “system disturbances, low plant availability at the small thermals, shortage of water, generator transformer outages as well as periodic load limitations for load control purposes resulted in the 4,05 percent target miss”.
The national power company, which runs Kariba Thermal Power Station, Hwange, Bulawayo and Harare among other stations, is mulling embarking on an expansion drive of all its thermal power stations to boost power generation.
“In Kariba, funding has been secured and the contractor is now on site.
“A geologist is now conducting a limestone supply desktop analysis on potential suppliers around the Hwange area,” Sakubvutwa said.
He noted that Hwange Thermal Power station requires $500 million investment for refurbishments and is expected to be complete by 2018.
ZPC says it has begun the repowering of smaller stations in Harare, Bulawayo, and Munyati which require investment to the tune of $360 million as support stations.
Sakubvutwa admitted that ZPC was under utilising its power plants and would generate more electricity to meet Zimbabwe’s needs which is facing a power deficit resulting in power outages grossly affecting industry.
With the coming in of private players in the coal sector like Makomo has breathed life into the future of power generation at the thermal power station.