US$600 000 needed to raise Munyati power capacity

At least US$600 000 is required to increase the power generating capacity at Munyati Thermal Power Station which was resuscitated to augment supplies on the national grid, a senior government official has said.

The Kwekwe coal-fired, Munyati Power Station had been mothballed for the past decade because of a cocktail of operational challenges.

But with the prevailing stable macro-economic environment the thermal power station, with an installed capacity of 100 megawatts, was in August brought on line.

Acting permanent secretary for Energy and Power Development retired Colonel Morgan Mudzinganyama said the capital was needed to refurbish the plant.

"About US$600 000 is required to bring the dependable plant capacity at Munyati power station from the current 40MW to 60MW within the next three months," he said.

The national grid is presently stressed with increasing demand from both residential and a recovering industry that is seeking to achieve at least 60 percent capacity utilisation by year-end.

Rtd Colonel Mudzinganyama said power production at Munyati would remain low until the funds to refurbish the plant are found.

A decade of economic meltdown induced by western imposed sanctions resulted in Zesa failing to maintain and upgrade machinery.

The acting permanent secretary called on the private sector to invest in the power station adding industry had more to benefit.

"Some consumers mainly from the mining sector have undertaken to purchase this power at a cost reflective tariff in return for uninterrupted power supply."

"Using the cost reflective tariff, Munyati power station will be able to increase its capacity to generate more power as it ploughs back the income to refurbish the rest of the generating plant," he said.

The Electricity Act of 2002 has since paved way for private investment in the electricity sector previously dominated by state owned Zesa. ' New Ziana