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Business Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority is pushing for legislation to ban importation and use of electrical gadgets that consume a lot of power, an official said. The new legislation being considered will prohibit the use of all electrical products, local and imported, that gobble too much power, as the country is facing deficits.

Zera said the law will compel rating of all electrical appliances or gadgets for energy efficiency and provide for strict inspection of the same at the ports of entry.

Zimbabwe has already crafted legislation prohibiting the use of incandescent lights/bulbs, as part of the widespread measures meant to manage its power crisis.

Only on Wednesday, Government launched a programme to outlaw and replace electric geysers with solar water heaters to ameliorate the current power deficit. It is believed the initiative will result in power savings of 300MW to 400MW.

This comes as Zimbabwe is facing its most debilitating chronic power crisis in history after reduced output at Kariba South worsened the already dire situation. The 920MW Hwange thermal power station, is also producing at much limited capacity due to ageing equipment and annual statutory maintenance of the plan.

The country requires an average of 2 200 megawatts at peak period of demand, but is only able to generate slightly over 1000MW due to limited capacity. A combination of outdated power stations and lack of meaningful investment in new capacity over three decades has conspired to cause the choking power crisis.

Mr Tobias Mudzingwa, engineer responsible for renewable energy said plans were afoot to craft legislation for compulsory labelling of electric gadgets energy ratings.

“We are going to control imports so that we accept only products that are compliant; energy efficient or labelled to use less energy than those rated to use more.

“When we enforce (the legislation), they, (local manufacturers) are also going to be mandated to put every rating according to the international stands,” he said.

Mr Mudzingwa said this during panel discussions at the end of the Clean Energy Week conference, graced yesterday by a number of local and foreign experts.

Government has, in the Zim-Asset medium term economic policy, set targets to increase the contribution of renewable energy sources to the country’s energy mix.

The discussions also highlighted loopholes in the countries legislation, for instance by laws, that do not provide for energy efficiency measures amid the deficit.

Such shortcomings pertain to urban and town planning by-laws and legislation that governs construction in towns and cities, which do not insists on infrastructure that prioritises use of renewable and sustainable sources of energy.

Energy and Power Development Minister Samuel Undenge said Government has fully embraced the use of clean energy for both domestic and business usage.

“The Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority has licensed five solar power stations valued at $250 million expecting to produce 160MW,” the minister said.

He added that there were a number of independent power producers generating hydro electricity while the Rural Electrification Agency has several solar grid projects powering rural health centres and rural schools across the country.

Several other small scale solar projects are providing energy across the country. Minister Undenge said that REA is also developing a rural energy master plan for more accurate measure of solar energy production in the rural areas.

Government, he also fully supports the use of liquefied petroleum gas for cooking heating, which will go a long way in alleviating power shortage in the country.

The Ministry of Energy is leading an all inclusive stakeholder consultation on the development of bio-fuel policy for the sector to grow in line with Zim-Asset goals.

Already, petroleum companies have embraced and supported the usage of clean petroleum products with a significant number now selling the diesel 50 fuel.