HARARE, Zimbabwe will have excess electricity within the next three years as new power generation projects come on stream, says President Emmerson Mnangagwa.
Zimbabwe has lined up several mega-power projects, including the one billion US dollars Hwange thermal power station expansion, which will add 600 megawatts (MW) of electricity to the national grid. The project is being implemented after the government recently completed upgrading the 300 megawatt Kariba South power plant.
President Mnangagwa said the government was targeting improved power output to aid economic recovery.
Currently the electricity that we require for our industries is around 2,500 Megawatts but what we currently produce is not adequate, but the programs that we have will result in additional power output, he said.
We are so determined that in three years time we should have excess power in Zimbabwe. We would want power to spread to all the rural areas, schools and clinics.
President Mnangagwa said other projects included the 2,200-MW Batoka Gorge hydro-electric scheme which the government would jointly construct with Zambia across the Zambezi River.
He said three solar pol 0projects which would add 300 MW to the national grid were also at various stages of implementation. At the end of all these projects when they come on stream we should have sufficient power, he said.
Lack of investment in the energy sector has seen the country battling power shortages in recent years.
Source: NAM NEWS NETWORK
