Hwange Power Station's Unit 6 Shut Down
Increased load shedding is being caused by the shutdown of Hwange Thermal Power Station’s Unit 6, it has emerged.
The Unit was shut down for renovations on Friday last week and is expected to be switched back on this Thursday or tomorrow.
Speaking to ZimLive on Tuesday, a Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) official who preferred anonymity said the Unit will add 150 MW to the grid when reconnected. Said the official:
We shut down Unit 6 to attend to a problem of vibration. After the shutdown, we allow a cool-off period of about two days before work can begin. We expect to get it back up on Thursday or Friday, regaining about 150 MW.
Zimbabweans have enjoyed a period of relatively uninterrupted power supply in the run-up to the 23 August 2023 Harmonised Elections.
This was largely attributed to the successful addition of Units 7 and 8 generators at Hwange which added a combined 600MW to the national grid.
Zimbabwe’s peak electricity demand hovers at around 1 800MW with the bulk of the electricity generated at Hwange and the hydro-powered Kariba Power Station.
On Wednesday, 13 September, ZPC was generating 664MW at Hwange Power Station and 925MW at Kariba Power Station to give a total of 1 589MW.
More: Pindula News
