Judith Phiri, Business Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) has said it is well on course to meet the March deadline for the completion of the US$48 million Hwange Deka water pipeline project which is 85 percent complete.
The project is being implemented by the Second Republic and is running parallel to the US$1,4 billion Hwange Unit 7 and 8 expansion project all of which seeks to augment supply of water at Hwange Power Station which will add 600MW to the national grid and ease power shortages.
ZPC has been working to upgrade the Old Deka water pipeline’s low and high lift pumps and lay a new pipeline to draw water from the Zambezi River to Hwange Power Station, the country’s largest coal-fired power plant. Exim Bank of India is funding the project through a US$48,1 million credit line.
Deka pipeline
In an update report, ZPC said: “The Deka Upgradation Project is on schedule and 85 percent complete and on course to be completed by March 31, 2023. Current works include pipe laying and fitting, construction of the gravel access road along the pipeline and excavation of the pipeline trench.”
It said the pipeline project was critical to enhance operationalisation of the Hwange Thermal Power Station which is being boosted with 600MW capacity under a US$1,4 billion investment. ZPC said construction of the new Ingagula houses was underway and being implemented in parallel to the Hwange Expansion Project.
“The new residential area will also have amenities such as schools, clinics and other facilities to ensure that residents are well catered for in the new neighbourhood,” read part of the report.
However, in terms of power generation, ZPC said it produced 1,719GWh, falling short of its quarterly goal of 2,490GWh by 30.96 percent due to numerous forced outages, while the power generation utility missed its 9,111GWh annual energy sent out target for 2022 by 7.29 percent.
Zimbabwe Power Company
It said Kariba South Power Station was allocated 22.5Bm3 of water by Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) for power generation in 2022 which is equivalent to an average generation capacity of 606MW.
“However, due to the incessant breakdown of the aged units at the Hwange Power Station and lack of foreign currency to import electricity, Kariba South Power Station used up more water in order to augment low generation at the coal fired stations.
“This situation led to a reduction of water levels in the Lake Kariba which is available for power generation, and necessitated the reduction of the station’s generation by the ZRA to an average of 250MW, hence bringing about an increase in load shedding over the period under review,” added ZPC.
Deka pipeline
It said small thermals collectively produced 31.33GWh of energy, falling 55.45 percent short of the quarterly goal of 70.32GWh.
ZPC said the thermal stations’ failure to attain scheduled generation levels in the fourth quarter of 2022 was caused by the incessant plant challenges and limited coal supplies which led to a reduction in power generation.
Part of the report read: “Hwange Power Station generated with an average of three units during the quarter compared to a target of five units as per the 2022 production plan, missing the quarterly energy sent out target by 34.02 percent. Unit 5 at Hwange is currently awaiting life extension which is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2023.”