Hwange Thermal Expansion Project Now 40% Complete - REPORT

The Hwange Thermal Expansion project is running on schedule and is now 40 per cent complete, with the contractor, Sino Hydro, confident that it will meet the January 2022 deadline.

The entire project will cost US$1.5 billion and is expected to add 600 Megawatts to the national grid when completed. Project Site Manager Engineer Forbes Chanakira had this to say:

We are now in the 19th month and as I have already indicated Unit 7 start-up is expected on the 25th of April that’s is the initial commissioning which will run for 6 months and then after the pre-commissioning will then have the commercial operation date around October 2021.

Sino Hydro Project Site Manager, Tang Zhaolai said that measures have been put in place to prevent delays in the shipment of materials from China which may result due to the coronavirus outbreak.

The Hwange Thermal Expansion project is being co-implemented by the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) through its special purpose vehicle, Hwange Electricity Supply Company (HESCO) and the Engineering, Procurement Construction (EPC) contractor, Sinohydro Pvt Limited of China.

More: ZBC News