Zimbabwe is set commence construction a 2 800-MW
thermal power station in Sengwa, Gokwe North at a cost of US $1.5bn,
following RioZim, the project
developers moving to the next phase of preliminary works, which entail,
chiefly, signing a power purchase agreement.
The thermal power station project has been in the
pipeline for since the early 1990s. RioZim signed framework and exclusivity
agreements with Power China in November 2018, completed a full design and
feasibility of the Power station, route and design of the water supply pipeline
from the Zambezi River, design of 420kV power evacuation lines from Sengwa to
Selous and coal mining plan and fuel coal delivery to station.
Phase one of the Sengwa thermal project involves
the construction of two 350MW of coal fired power and 400km power line. The
contractor is currently on site conducting initial evaluations which precede
financial closure.
Power China, the sister company of Sinohydro, which
is presently involved in the expansion project on Kariba South, is preparing
the bill of quantities on the pipeline and power lines. The bill is a
requirement by the financiers in order to know the cost of water pipeline from
Kariba to Sengwa and the cost of evacuation lines from Sengwa to Sherwood.
Upon completion, Sengwa will be among Zimbabwe’s two biggest power plants after the 2400 MW Batoka project. The 2000MW of power expected to be produced will be fed from RioZim’s coal claims in Senegwa Coal Deposit with proven ore reserves in excess of 525 million tonnes.https://constructionreviewonline.com/2019/07/zimbwabwe-to-commence-construction-of-sengwa-thermal-power-station/
