Energy and Power Development Minister July Moyo has announced that power generation at the Kariba South Hydropower Station will rise to around 500 megawatts (MW) this winter.
This increase follows an improved water allocation from the Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) to Zimbabwe’s power utility, ZESA.
The station is generating about 400MW per day, up from 252MW, thanks to increased water inflows into Lake Kariba in recent months.
These inflows have allowed the ZRA to allocate more water to the power utilities of both Zimbabwe and Zambia.
Speaking during a Question and Answer session in Parliament last Wednesday, Minister Moyo said that Zimbabwe’s official water allocation from the ZRA supports the generation of 485MW.
However, actual output can temporarily exceed this amount, particularly during times of low electricity demand on the national grid. Moyo said:
We have been allocated enough water to generate 485MW by ZRA. However, we can even produce about 500MW so that winter crop farmers have adequate electricity, at the same time being mindful we do not exhaust our annual allocation.
We are now confident that the ZRA will be able to increase what it allows both Zesa here in Zimbabwe and Zesco (Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation) in Zambia to increase their production of electricity,” he said.
At present, we are targeting to produce 485 megawatts, but we are allowed to play around that figure to support farmers.
We think that with tight management, we can assure wheat growers that they will not be switched off.
The Zambezi River Authority is responsible for monitoring water inflows from the Zambezi River and its tributaries into Lake Kariba.
Each year, the ZRA sets a maximum volume of water, measured in billion cubic metres, that can be used for power generation. This allocation is shared equally between Zimbabwe and Zambia.
As of Friday, Zimbabwe’s total electricity generation stood at 1,619 megawatts (MW). Hwange Power Station contributed 1,176MW, Kariba South generated 400MW, while independent power producers supplied the remaining 43MW.
More: HeraldOnline
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