Energy Minister Reveals Shocking Decline In Electricity Generation
Zimbabweans should brace for extended load shedding as the country’s electricity supply falters due to failing infrastructure at Hwange Thermal Power Station and critically low water levels at Kariba Dam, reported CITE.
Many households are experiencing blackouts lasting over 18 hours and in some cases, up to 24 hours, crippling businesses and halting productivity.
In the National Assembly on Wednesday, Energy and Power Development Minister Edgar Moyo attributed the worsening crisis to dysfunction at Zimbabwe’s key power generation facilities.
This came after MP Engineer Leslie Mhangwa, who chairs the Energy Portfolio Committee, questioned Moyo about the growing power shortages despite typically higher winter generation levels, which are now leading to more than 24 hours of continuous load shedding in some areas. Said Mhangwa:
From the statistics from Zimbabwe Power Company, currently we are generating almost the same power we were generating in winter.
In winter, we had shorter load shedding with the high usage from winter and the winter wheat crop. Yet now we are having more than 24 hours load shedding.
Is there a crisis that has not been notified to the people or is it a new Government policy that has changed?
Moyo, however, disputed Mhangwa’s assessment, presenting recent figures to illustrate the steep decline in electricity production. He said:
The power that we were generating in winter is not the same as the power being generated now.
Currently, at Hwange 7 and 8, we are running at full throttle and generating 640 megawatts.
At Hwange Stages 1 and 2, during winter, we were at peak capacity at 420 megawatts. Now, we are doing 260 megawatts, and as a result of the breakdown of other units, we are now generating power using just three units.
In Kariba during that time, we were able to do up to 300 megawatts but now we are only able to do 100 megawatts.
We were allocated 8.4 billion cubic metres of water for Lake Kariba for use this year but, at some point, we had to get up to 500 megawatts from Kariba to meet the high demand.
That has significantly reduced the water levels, and we are now left with about 1 billion cubic litres of water, which can generate 100 megawatts up to the end of the year.
Mhangwa pressed the minister about inconsistencies in power generation statistics, pointing out that on certain days, power output exceeded 1,100 megawatts, yet load shedding still occurred. He said:
On 4 August 2024 we generated 1,128 (megawatts), in September 2024 we generated 917 and on 29 August 2024, we generated 1,108.
Today, we are supposed to have generated 1 128 but we are worse off today than when we were generating less. Something is inaccurate there, Hon. Minister.
Moyo explained that daily power fluctuations are due to solar power, which varies with weather conditions.
On sunny days, solar systems generate maximum power, but on overcast or partly cloudy days, they generate less. Said Moyo:
Some of the power that is being referred to comes from solar, and solar by its nature is intermittent.
In terms of the power generated every day, you may find that you may vacillate between 20 and 70 megawatts depending on the climate [sic] conditions on that day.
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