…reliable energy supply key to Vision 2030
By Lungile Siziba
Increased energy generation capacity is one of the critical ingredients for the attainment of Vision 2030 of an empowered and prosperous upper-middle income society.
The Second Republic has prioritised boosting energy generation to enable the many companies that have taken up investment opportunities in the tourism, manufacturing, agriculture and mining sectors, among others, to operate without hindrances brought by electricity shortages.
Zimbabwe’s electricity demand is projected to increase from 1 950MW in 2022 to 5 177MW by 2030, driven by the mining and agriculture sectors which are presently doing well.
Zimbabwe intends to increase internal power generation from water, solar and wind, which are clean energy sources to reduce the impact of climate change.
However, electricity generation from coal will also continue as the country cannot sacrifice its economic growth to please Western countries, which are the biggest polluters of the environment, and recently revived their thermal stations following a misunderstanding with Russia, which supplies the bulk of Europe’s heating gas requirements.
In a speech read on his behalf by Energy and Power Development Minister Edgar Moyo at the commissioning of a 200-kilowatt solar mini-grid at Hwakwata Village in Chipinge, Manicaland, recently, President Mnangagwa said Government has a task to facilitate the development of energy and electricity infrastructure.
Further, it has the mandate of providing efficient, adequate, safe and reliable energy services in order to facilitate sustainable economic and social development.
“In this regard, Government has taken the decision to support all eligible independent power producers to source funding from local and international financiers by guaranteeing the projects during their lifespan,” he said.
“This has been done to de-risk investments.
“This guarantee is being piloted with solar photovoltaic projects but will be extended to other renewable energy technologies in the future.”
President Mnangagwa called on more partnerships similar to the Climate Adaptation Water and Energy Infrastructure Programme and even the strengthening of existing ones. υυυ τττ Government alone cannot achieve the desired goals in the energy sector, which are tied to national economic growth targets, he said.
“However, as policymakers we ensure that the environment is conducive,” he said
Energy availability creates improves living standards
Communities with electricity tend to be more productive while learners get decent pass marks as they can read for longer hours. Even health provision is made easy as critical drugs can be stored under the correct temperatures at local clinics, which is impossible in the absence of electrical power.
President Mnangagwa said when there is electricity, critical issues concerning women, children, youths and gender are embedded in development programmes.
The Hwakwata CAWEP Project, explained the President, is a clear testimony of this assertion, where the community has access to solar energy and biogas for a variety of uses such as cooking, lighting, welding and solar water pumping.
“Women and children now spend less time fetching firewood and water. Schoolchildren can now use light from the solar mini-grid power plant and the solar home systems to study in the comfort of their homes during the night.
“Women and girls can now cook more efficiently using biogas. Teachers and nurses can now use electricity in their houses and prepare their work more efficiently and effectively,” he said.
Six more solar mini-grids for rural provinces
President Mnangagwa has directed the Rural Electrification Agency to develop six more 200Kw solar mini-grids in the country’s eight rural provinces to empower women, youths and vulnerable groups.
Zimbabwe has eight rural provinces and two of the solar mini-grid systems are already operational while others are at different stages of construction.
“In so doing, Zimbabwe is also supporting the empowering lives and livelihood initiative launched at COP 28 (held in Dubai last year).
“This initiative focuses on the powering of health and agriculture value chains with distributed renewable energy systems,” he said.
Government had made huge strides in bridging the rural-urban divide in terms of electricity provision.
“The objective of this initiative is to reduce the energy access gap between the urban and rural population leaving no one behind in our quest to achieve universal access to sustainable and modern energy in Zimbabwe by 2030,” he said.
Hwakwata solar explainer
The Hwakwata Green Village Project, which was implemented by Government and the United Nations Development Programme with financial support from the United Kingdom’s Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office and the Rural Electrification Fund, consists of a solar mini-grid with a 200kW solar photovoltaic array, batteries, inverter and metering system.
It supplies 80 homesteads, 14 shops at the business centre clinic and primary school. In total, 12 500 people are benefiting from the solar project.
UNDP Country Representative Dr Ayodele Odusola commended the people of Hwakwata “through their Chief and headman, the people contributed land and cooperated towards the project, they are not passive beneficiaries”.
Other projects lined-up
Some of the measures planned to boost electricity supply include;
λ utility-scale home solar systems expected to add over 1 500 MW in the short-to-medium term
λ the Batoka Gorge Project expected to provide 1 200 MW on completion after 2034
λ the Devil’s Gorge project set to provide 1 200 MW on completion by 2040
λ Floating solar project at Kariba dam
λ Boosting generation at Hwange thermal station
