06 November 2009

Zimbabwe says that it will ramp up power production at the Hwange thermal power station from the current 450 MW to at least 750 MW and restart another idle thermal station by June 2010 with help from neighbours Namibia and Botswana respectively.

Zimbabwe Energy and Power Development Minister Elias Mudzuri said that Namibia's NamPower will continue to assist in reviving the Hwange power station to optimum production levels, which he said should soon peak at 750 MW with the addition of two more generation units later this year. NamPower invested $45-million in the Zimbabwe power project.

Botswana Power Corporation will help Zimbabwe revive the Bulawayo thermal power station, one of the four which the State power utility tried to revive last year but abandoned due to crippling coal shortages. "Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) is investing $8-million in the revival of the Bulawayo station. It has a capacity of 90 MW, but that can be boosted up to 120 MW. We expect to have a 50:50 share with BPC, so both countries will get substantial benefits out of this deal," Mudzuri says.

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