info.afrindex.com
China-Africa Trade Information Service
info.afrindex.com
China-Africa Trade Information Service
Photo from Zimbabwe Situation
Zimbabwe is a landlocked country in southern Africa, and its power supply has been chronically inadequate due to geographical,historical and practical reasons.
The Hwange Thermal Power Station, the 14th largest plant in southern Africa, has an installed capacity of 920 MW but has not been operating at its optimum level due to aging.
The 1.5 billion U.S. dollar expansion project by Sinohydro, China's hydropower engineering and construction firm, will lift the plant's installed capacity to 1,590 MW, which is expected to maintain its position as the country's biggest power plant.
Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa said the project, once completed, will modernize Zimbabwe's energy infrastructure and ensure energy self-sufficiency.
It is the largest power development project to be undertaken by Zimbabwe since independence in 1980.
When commissioning the Kariba expansion project in March, Mnangagwa hailed the project as a milestone achievement in the country’s quest for development.
The president said apart from helping the country, which has faced perennial power shortages and a pressure to reduce its power import bill, the additional 300MW would significantly boost power supplies in the country that is seeking to revive its economy after nearly two decades of stagnant growth.
