Harare Thermal Power Station
Harare Power Station, in Workington, Harare, was first commissioned in 1942. It’s capacity is 90MW. It currently (2020) produces 17MW.
Through 2011 and 2012, Harare Mayor Muchadeyi Masunda negotiated with the Ministry of Energy and Power Development to take the power station back. The station was largely idle for years due to coal shortages and maintenance problems. The plant had a capacity of 100MW, but was operating at around 45 per cent. In addition, CoH had plans to boost its power supplies by harnessing bio-gas energy and already had bio-gas plants at Crowborough and Firle Sewer Works. Biogas is a product of fermentation of organic material such as manure or sewage sludge. Firle had a capacity to produce 32 000 cubic metres of biogas an hour and, according to experts, biogas can be used as a substitute for coal in thermal power stations. [1]
In 2014 Jaguar Overseas of India was awarded the tender to refurbish the station. This has not been completed. [2] [3]
Location/ Contact
6 Coventry Road, Workington.
Tel: 0424 777 778
Lat 17.845, Long 31.031667
Current structure
Physical
Power station 1 was commissioned in 1942 and had a capacity of 21MW, but was decommissioned in 1970.
Station 2, commissioned in 1955, had a capacity of 75MW. Due to uneconomical units, it was rated don to 20MW. The station consists of nine chain-grate boilers and six turbo-alternators. Five boilers and three turbo-alternators have been decommissioned.
Station 3 was commissioned in 1956-57, and consists of pulverized fuel-fired boilers, and two large turbo-alternator machines producing 30MW each.
Ownership
The Station is owned by Zimbabwe Power Company.
History
As the plant was largely idle, 2011 to 2012, due to poor coal deliveries and lack of maintenance, and Harare needed power for hospitals and 4 million people, Harare Mayor Muchadeyi Masunda and the CoH worked to take the plant back and make it functional. [1] [4] [5]
In 2014 Jaguar Overseas of India was awarded the tender to repower the three operating units. The Harare re-powering project would cost US$70.2 million with 85 percent of the cost funded by India’s Exim Bank. The project was planned to be completed in 2018, adding 90MW to the national grid. In May 2016, it was reported that the Export-Import Bank (Eximbank) of India had rejected the project's application for US$70.2 million in funding. [6] [2] [7]
Following statements by Energy minister Fortune Chasi that local authorities owing Zesa $300 million in unpaid bills was largely to blame for the electricity crisis, Harare Mayor Herbert Gomba replied that the power utility owed them over $135 million for royalties and way-leaves that they have not been paying for nearly 30 years. “We are also owed a lot in terms of rent and usage of our properties like Harare Thermal Station, Wynne Street offices and several others that they are renting from us.” [8] [9]
Further Reading
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Harare power station takeover, The Zimbabwean, Published: 16 February 2011, Retrieved: 31 July 2019
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Zim to export electricity by 2018, The Patriot, Published: 21 January 2016, Retrieved: 31 July 2019
- ↑ Power plant takeover to delay., ZBC, Published: 9 May 2011, Retrieved: 31 July 2019
- ↑ Harare Council renews fight for thermal power station, The Zimbabwean, Published: 30 May 2012, Retrieved: 31 July 2019
- ↑ [3], Newsday, Published: 5 September 2011, Retrieved: 31 July 2019
- ↑ [www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Harare_power_station#cite_note-2 Indian firm to refurbish Munyati Power Station], Financial Gazette, Published: 4 February 2016, Retrieved: 31 July 2019
- ↑ [www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Harare_power_station#cite_note-2 Power deal Faces collapse], Financial Gazette, Published: 12 May 2016, Retrieved: 31 July 2019
- ↑ ZESA owes council over $135m: Mayor, Financial Gazette, Published: 30 July 2019, Retrieved: 31 July 2019
- ↑ Harare demands 30-year old debt, The Standard, Published: 21 July 2019, Retrieved: 31 July 2019
