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The multi-million dollar Dema emergency diesel power plant will start generating an initial 100 megawatts of electricity next month. Construction of the power plant, about 40 kilometres outside Harare, started in April. The diesel-powered electricity-generating project, a Public-Private-Partnership deal between the government and energy company Sakunda Holdings will have capacity of 200 megawatts when fully complete.Sakunda chief executive officer Kudakwashe Tagwirei told New Ziana on the sidelines of a tour of the site that although they were experiencing challenges, power generation would start by June 21 this year.

One of the biggest challenges they were facing, he said, was delays in clearing trucks transporting critical equipment at the Beitbridge border post.

“At the moment we have 84 trucks stuck at the border there. By the end of the week we will be having 144,” he said, appealing for Government intervention to help clear the trucks.

“This was supposed to be an 8 week program but because of the delays at the border we might also face delays in completing.”

Tagwirei said power generated at the plant would be sold to Zesa at 15,45 cents per kilowatt hour with the cost expected to come down in future.

“Part of the agreement we have with Zesa is that we will be generating between 15 to 16 hours per day for Zesa,” he said, adding that some of the power would be for export.

Chief secretary in the office of the President and Cabinet Dr Mishek Sibanda, who led several other Government officials on the site tour, earlier on said power was a critical enabler of economic growth.

He said the Government would assist clear all the hurdles standing in the way of the project.

“Power is very critical to the kind of economic growth we are envisioning,” he said.

Zimbabwe generates below 1 500 megawatts most of the times against demand of over 2 000 megawatts during peak periods, forcing the country to supplement internal power generation with imports from regional power utilities.

This has prompted government to build new power stations as well as expand existing ones to bridge the power deficit in the country. — New Ziana.