ZESA tells people to expect less power after a breakdown at the Hwange coal plant on Sunday. The power company must cut electricity more often for all customers because of this surprise problem. They never said if the issue happened with older machines or the fresh units built by Chinese workers.
Hwange produced 979 megawatts on Saturday before the trouble started. Kariba dam added 400 megawatts to the grid. Private companies chipped in another 75 megawatts, for a total of 1,454 megawatts, not counting imports. Zimbabwe needs about 2,000 megawatts during busy times, but produces less than that. The gap between what people need and what ZESA creates causes daily blackouts lasting up to eight hours.
Hwange produced 979 megawatts on Saturday before the trouble started. Kariba dam added 400 megawatts to the grid. Private companies chipped in another 75 megawatts, for a total of 1,454 megawatts, not counting imports. Zimbabwe needs about 2,000 megawatts during busy times, but produces less than that. The gap between what people need and what ZESA creates causes daily blackouts lasting up to eight hours.
