Chinese to design $2.1 billion Sengwa power plant

RioZim Ltd chose a state-owned Chinese company to design a $2,1 billion power plant it plans to build in Zimbabwe and is lobbying South Africa's electricity utility to buy from the facility to help attract investors.

State Nuclear Electric Power Planning Design and Research Institute, based in Beijing, "has already come in to design the generators" for the 2 800-megawatt coal-fired Sengwa plant.

RioZim non-executive director Caleb Dengu said RioZim has written to South African Energy Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson asking that Eskom Holdings SOC Ltd buy 2 000 megawatts.

RioZim is working on raising funds through equity and debt for the facility, chief executive officer Noah Matimba said in May last year.