Business

ZPC targets 9 000GWh

The Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) is targeting to produce over 9 000 GigaWatt-hours (GWh) of electricity during 2015, a senior company official has said.

One gigawatt is equal to one billion watts or 1 gigawatt equals 1 000 megawatts. This unit is often used for large power plants or power grids. .

Zimbabwe generates its power from the Hwange Thermal Power Station, the Kariba Hydro-electric Power Station and three small thermal power stations, Munyati in Kwekwe, Harare and Bulawayo.

ZPC managing director Engineer Noah Gwariro said the targeted output was a sign of improving generation capacity in Zimbabwe.

“The targeted output for 2015 is pegged at 9 799.06 GWh. This is a 0,33 percent increase from the 2014 target of 9 766.39 GWh,” he said.

Last year, Mr Gwariro said, the ZPC sent out about 9 752.5 GWh missing its target for 2014 by 0,15 percent while the total energy sent out last year was 4,70 percent higher than that sent out in 2013.

Mr Gwariro said planned maintenance work lined up for 2015 included statutory inspections on Hwange units 1 & 2, major overhaul on Hwange unit 6 and slip ring replacements on Hwange units 5 & 6.

ZPC would also carry out annual maintenance on all six units at Kariba power station during the year.

Zimbabwe is currently facing power shortages as national power demand at peak periods is estimated at 2 200MW against available generation of about 1 400MW with the shortfall being imported from regional power utilities.

Through the ZPC, the Government has embarked on several projects to bridge the power deficit through expanding existing power stations and building new ones.

Work is in progress to expand Kariba Power Station by an additional two units which will add a combined 300 megawatts to the national grid on completion in 2018.

Plans are also in place to add two units at Hwange Power Station which would have a combined generation capacity of 600 megawatts.

Zimbabwe is also working with the Zambian government to build the Batoka gorge power station which is expected to generate 1 600 MW of electricity to be shared equally by the two countries when complete. – New Ziana.

Exit mobile version