The Harare Institute of Technology (HIT) has become the first local institution to produce a working transformer certified for field roll-outs by the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority.
Dr Talon Garikayi, Director of HIT’s Technology Transfer, Licensing and Commercialization Centre said the project started as a results of the county’s struggles to procure transformers in recent years due to ongoing foreign currency shortages, resulting in a slow electrification process.
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Power crisis
Zimbabwe’s power supply problems were made even worse in recent years by the increasing cases of vandalism and theft of critical electricity transmission components which made it difficult for the authorities to keep the national power supply grid working at full capacity.
The project started with researches and hypothetical tests five years ago which later intensified into full practical development leading to the production of a final working prototype of the electricity transformers.
“We are now supplying to various sectors and commercial users at a very good scale. The electricity transformers have been certified by the local authorities for industrial deployment and we look forward to make a massive contribution in developing Zimbabwe’s energy industry” added Dr. Garikayi.
The innovation of transformers according to Dr. Garikayi ease the electricity supply situation and reduce the country’s import bill as the economy continues to experience constant foreign currency deficiencies.
Feasibility of mass producing 11/0.4kV and 33/0.4kV transformers are under investigation for the pilot test before being commercially traded within and outside Zimbabwe. To save them from using foreign currency, they sourced all re-engineering components locally
