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Tawanda Mangoma in Chiredzi
Government has renewed Tongaat Hulett’s licence to generate electricity at Hippo Valley cane milling plant.

The electricity is meant for the company’s own consumption.

Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) issued the power generating licence on October 2 this year.

“The generation licence issued to Hippo Valley Estates Limited (hereinafter referred to as the licence) is hereby renewed in terms of Section 48 of the Electricity Act to own, operate and maintain a 39-mega watt co-generation thermal power plant called Hippo Valley Estates Power Station for the purposes of generation and supply of electricity mainly for the internal consumption,” read the statement from ZERA.

Tongaat corporate affairs and communication manager Ms Adelaide Chikunguru said the company will consider selling excess power to the national grid.

“The electricity generation licence allows Hippo Valley Estates to comply with legislation which requires that anyone who generates electricity above 100kW needs to be licensed,” she said.

“Our power station is integral to our operation as a sugar mill for processing cane into sugar. However, any excess electricity generated over and above our own requirements can then be fed into the ZESA grid network and this is catered for in the licence.”

Ms Chikunguru said Tongaat has already taken the lead in promoting renewable energy.

“The fuel used mostly for raising steam in the running of the turbo-alternators is derived from cane bagasse, which is a biomass and technically it can be classified as renewable energy (which in essence is green energy),” she said.

“Tongaat Hulett’s philosophy is anchored in sustainability and creating a sustainable environment as far as possible,’’ added Ms Chikunguru.

Tongaat has been supplying Chiredzi Town Council with uninterrupted power supply to its waterworks plant.