State of the Energy Sector in Zimbabwe- full ministerial statement

So, I want to emphasise that we have got a gap in terms of availability of power versus what we consume every day. The challenges and proposed mitigation measures – the country currently faces with a power supply deficit which has seen some of the ZESA customers being load shedded for as long as 10 hours and in some instances, I have had complaints from members of the public that they have gone beyond that time which exceeds the time that may have been stated in the schedule by ZESA.

This deficit is due to a combination of factors some of which I now turn to:

– Receding water levels at Kariba Dam.  I think I have already made it clear.  This has resulted in the Zambezi River Authority now rationing water between Zambia and Zimbabwe.  There is an arrangement between us and Zambia regarding management of water on the Zambezi, so, further depleting water that is available for generation of power.  So, each of the two power stations in other words, the Zambian one and our own, are now allowed water enough to generate an average of 358 mw per day, much reduced from what traditionally has been available.

An improved rainy season in 2017/18 saw the water allocations increased to allow each power station to generate an average of 480 mega watts per day.  Currently, the receding water level at Lake Kariba has resulted in the sealing down of power generation in order to comply with reduced water allocation by the Zambezi River Authority.  The reduced power generation has resulted in load shedding and I am sure all of us are familiar with it and its effects.   In order to match power supply demand, load curtailing as it also know by others, is currently averaging 350 mega watts and we expect this amount to rise to 600 mega watts in June, given that it is going to  be very cold and people will begin to use heaters and other warming devices which may include electric blankets and all.  The peak that causes us to load shed and I know that there are many misunderstandings about load shedding; it is a very tortuous decision to make but it is a necessary one that has got to be done.  The peak arises from about 6 to 9pm at night, when people get home, all the lights are switched on, the stoves operate, televisions and so forth.  The increase in our consumption on any day is so significant that, I want to appeal to all of us here within our own families and our own constituencies to do whatever we can to conscientise our families and constituents to conserve power.

Performance of Hwange Power Station

Hwange Power Station is currently performing below its average due to its obsolete plant long past its life.  This general comment is applicable to almost all the infrastructure that relates to the generation of electricity, which means that we must, in some instances, invest in maintenance and invest in new installations or renewable methods of coming up with power.  The reduced power generation has resulted in load shedding in order to match power supply and demand.  I want to emphasise that if we continue to consume at the rate that we are doing, if we continue to leave our houses with lights on all the time, Government buildings with lights on all the time, things can only get worse.  If we continue to use bulbs that consume a lot of power, things can only get worse.  There are things that can be done to make more power but there are things that we have to do to ensure that we are all responsible when it comes to consumption of power.

There are remedial measures Mr. Speaker, that we are working on as a Ministry to ensure that we save on power.  It is very expensive, we are short of foreign currency so we cannot afford the luxury of just spending power having swimming pools running 24 hours and people never swim.  Maybe they swim once in six months.  We are not just going to concentrate on supply.  Everyone, including those who are shouting must be responsible, first in how you consume electricity – HON. MEMBERS:  Inaudible interjections.] –

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