Zimbabwe hopes to stabilize the electricity supply with a major upgrade at the Hwange Thermal Power Station. The project between Zesa and Jindal Africa awaits final Cabinet approval. All technical papers have been completed and need review by the Public-Private Partnership Committee, chaired by the Finance Minister.
The deal would transform aging Units 1 through 6 under a rehabilitate-operate-transfer agreement. Current output from these older units stands at 340 megawatts, but the upgrade promises to boost production to 800 megawatts. Dr. John Mangudya, who heads the Mutapa Investment Fund, says Zesa already started work on Unit 5 using internal money.
This improvement builds on Units 7 and 8, which added 600 megawatts to the national grid when they came online in 2023. The power company has also started other programs like prepaid meters and smart metering to increase energy security. Recent electricity price changes created better conditions for independent power producers to launch their projects.
Current rates sit at about 16 cents per kilowatt-hour, higher than the 9 to 10 cents most producers need to operate. The Mutapa Investment Fund manages Zesa and more than 20 other state companies as part of Zimbabwe's sovereign wealth strategy.
The deal would transform aging Units 1 through 6 under a rehabilitate-operate-transfer agreement. Current output from these older units stands at 340 megawatts, but the upgrade promises to boost production to 800 megawatts. Dr. John Mangudya, who heads the Mutapa Investment Fund, says Zesa already started work on Unit 5 using internal money.
This improvement builds on Units 7 and 8, which added 600 megawatts to the national grid when they came online in 2023. The power company has also started other programs like prepaid meters and smart metering to increase energy security. Recent electricity price changes created better conditions for independent power producers to launch their projects.
Current rates sit at about 16 cents per kilowatt-hour, higher than the 9 to 10 cents most producers need to operate. The Mutapa Investment Fund manages Zesa and more than 20 other state companies as part of Zimbabwe's sovereign wealth strategy.
