The Zimbabwean government has started work on a 36-kilometre power transmission line in Bulawayo between Hwange Thermal Power Station and Bulawayo’s Insukamini Substation. The project is part of the ongoing $1 billion Hwange Units 7 and 8 Expansion Project, which is now 76% complete and will contribute 600MW to the national grid by 2022. Hwange Power, which consists of 5x120MW and 2x220MW units, has a total installed capacity of 92OMW, making it the country’s largest coal-fired power plant.
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In August 2018, the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) began expansion work at Hwange Power Facility, culminating in the addition of a third stage to the station, with the construction of two 300MW units. According to ZPC, the expansion project would expand Hwange’s generation capacity from 92OMW to 1 520MW, addressing the country’s recurring power disruptions. Currently, the country generates roughly 3OOMW, with the Kariba Hydro Power Station alone providing about 900MW, with the gap being met by imports from regional sources. Given the project’s scale, building enough transmission infrastructure capacity is crucial to improving the economy’s energy efficiency. In this context, energy experts have emphasized the need of completing both expansion and transmission infrastructure projects at the same time to ensure a good market impact. This comes amid fears that the power company might lose 20% of its electricity due to inadequate transmission infrastructure.
The Power Transmission Line’s Current Progress
Dr Gloria Magombo, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Energy and Power Development, said in a Friday interview the increased power transmission Line in Bulawayo was being pursued with the same urgency as the Units 7 and 8 expansion program. According to Dr Magombo, the project is currently at 76% complete. The first 300MW unit (unit-7) is scheduled to come online in October 2022, followed by unit 8 (300MW) in January 2023. China Exim Bank is funding the project, and payments are paid based on verified progress. To date, a total of US$360 million has been disbursed. Construction of a 360-kilometre power line from Hwange to Bulawayo’s Insukamini Substation is part of the transmission scope. The line’s construction includes civil work for tower foundations, tower installation, and overhead conductor stringing.
According to the energy secretary, civil works have already been finished, and 67 of the 87 towers have been placed. She also stated that the conductor stringing, which began in September 2021, had finished 190 km of the 360 km by last week (10 December 2021). Stringing of the entire line is expected to be completed by mid-April 2022. Zimbabwe is undertaking several new power projects in the solar, hydro, and renewable energy sectors to increase output to above 5000MW and export excess electricity to the area.
