The Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) is set to undertake a capacity extension project at its Hwange Power Station that will see the addition of two generating units, each producing 300MW, to the already available unit that is operating at just above 550MW .
The company has secured 500 residential stands from Hwange Local Board to construct a new suburb that will accommodate residents from an old suburb that are set to be displaced by the new power plant. The construction of the houses, according to Eng Chivaura will be complete by mid-2019.
Zimbabwe has embarked on power generation expansion to meet the country’s power requirements as well as an anticipated industrial growth under the new political dispensation’s thrust to promote the opening up of the economy and the ease of doing business.
The expansion will, however, affect Ingagula suburb whose location falls foul of the usual wind direction, leaving the suburb at the risk of dangerous emissions coming from the power generation process.Besides being a project of national interest that will further guarantee power supply to the country as well as cutting on power imports, power generation has been beneficial to Hwange residents.
To date, some parts of Hwange get part of its water supplies from ZPC’s Deka water pipeline, which principally pumps water on an over 40-kilometre distance from the Zambezi River to Hwange Power Station for electricity generation.The power generator’s water contribution to the town is also going to increase after the construction of a second water pipeline that will cater for the power plant’s expansion drive.
