Chivayo’s Intratrek given 24 months to finish Gwanda solar project

The Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) has given Wicknell Chivayo’s Intratrek 24 months to complete the stalled 100MW Gwanda solar project.

The contract has for years been a case study in controversies around government procurement. It was cancelled in 2018 after Intratrek failed to start work despite receiving a US$5 million advance.

However, in 2023 a court ruled that the project should go ahead.

ZPC has now written to Intratrek telling it to restart the project under new terms, which are yet to be disclosed.

“The project duration shall be 24 months, in line with the agreed Programme of Works, as set out in the EPC Contract and its accompanying schedules. You are required to mobilise to the site and commence activities without delay,” ZPC said.

Intratrek chairman Wilson Manase has told Government that the company will return to site to resume work.

“Our mobilisation will encompass site establishment of temporary site facilities and other preparatory activities necessary to position the project for full-scale execution of the subsequent EPC works,” Manase said.

“We further confirm that the requisite advance payment guarantee was established and submitted to your office through our technical partner, CHiNT Electric, and all other arrangements required to commence implementation are now in place.”

Intratrek will still have to receive an advance mobilisation payment from Government. The US$5 million advance was central to ZPC’s case against the company.

The payment was meant to help Chivayo’s company prepare the site, but ZPC argued that no work was done.

More: newZWire

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