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Government says it is expecting to secure funding for the Hwange Thermal Power Station expansion project early next year, to pave way for extension of the power plant. Chinese firm Sino Hydro won the tender to add two units at Hwange Thermal Power Station which would have a combined generation capacity of 600 megawatts. Energy and Power Development permanent secretary Patson Mbiriri said construction work should begin soon after securing financial closure.

“We are working on financial closure, hopefully in the first half of next year we will have financial closure and work can start soon thereafter,” he said.

Presently Hwange is producing about 650 MW from an installed capacity of 920 MW, said Mr Mbiriri.

Zimbabwe is currently facing power shortages as national power demand at peak periods is estimated at 2 200MW.

Present generation capacity is far outweighed by demand resulting in the shortfall being imported from regional power utilities.

The government, through the Zimbabwe Power Company, has embarked on several projects to bridge the power deficit such as expanding existing power stations and building new ones.

In addition to the Hwange expansion project government in partnership with Sino Hydro is also constructing the $533 million Kariba South Power station expansion project, to be undertaken over the next three years.The Kariba expansion project will expand the country’s second largest power station by an additional two units which will add a combined 300 megawatts to the national grid.

Zimbabwe is also working with the Zambian government to build the Batoka gorge power station which is expected to generate 1 600MW of electricity to be shared equally by the two countries when complete. In addition to government efforts several Independent Power Producers have been licensed with the projects at different stages of implementation. – New Ziana.