Hwange Power Station's Unit 7 Back Online, Boosts National Grid By 300MW
Hwange Thermal Power Station’s Unit 7 was reconnected to the national grid on Friday after completing Class C maintenance.
This reconnection restores the 300 megawatts (MW) lost during the past month of statutory maintenance.
During Unit 7’s downtime, Unit 8 served as the primary source of electricity from Hwange. The reduced output from Hwange, coupled with low generation at the Kariba South Power Station, resulted in extensive load-shedding across the country.
Class C maintenance, involving routine inspections and minor repairs during planned outages, is essential for ensuring the plant’s efficient operation.
This maintenance helps identify and address potential issues before they lead to major failures or unplanned outages.
Energy and Power Development Minister Edgar Moyo expects a reduction in load-shedding as both Units 7 and 8 are now operational, providing more stability in the lead-up to the festive season. He told State media:
I understand that Unit 7, which has been off the grid for the past few weeks, will be reintroduced on the grid today (Friday).
This means we expect load-shedding to ease as we head into the festive season. Unit 8 will have its Class C maintenance in January or February next year.
This means there will be reduced load-shedding over the next two months.
Last Friday, Zimbabwe’s power generation stood at approximately 866MW: Hwange contributed 639MW, Kariba 184MW, and independent power producers 43MW. However, with the nation’s peak demand at 1,800MW, this leaves a significant shortfall.
The Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) is refurbishing six older units at Hwange using a US$300 million loan facility from the Export-Import Bank of India.
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