News / National
Zimbabwe to import 300MW of electricity from Eskom
16 Oct 2015 at 07:32hrs | Views
A deal to import 300MW from South Africa's power utility Eskom is being finalized as government seeks to augment, Zimbabwe's dwindling power supplies.
Sources said the Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe is negotiating with its South African counterparts to supply 300MW of electricity.
Ferrochrome and platinum refineries are not operating at full capacity at the moment owing to a decline in commodity prices. As a result of this, the ferrochrome industry has excess dedicated power supplied by Eskom.
Meanwhile, Sunbird Bioenergy Limited has entered into an agreement with the government and China New Energy to develop a bioenergy project which will produce 120 million litres of fuel grade ethanol from cassava and potato. The project will be in the Mushumbi Pools area in Mashonaland Central.
The project will result in the building of an ethanol production plant and a 36-megawatt (MW) biomass power station. The power station will supply electricity to the ethanol plant and the remainder (33MW) will be channelled into the national power grid subject to a Power Purchasing Agreement with the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company.
The project will also benefit from the increased ethanol blending ratio to 20%. Sunbird Bioenergy will create a nucleus farm, and divide the remaining land into plots that will be given to local outgrowers from 23 000 hectares of land that has been allocated for the development by government.
Sources said the Chamber of Mines of Zimbabwe is negotiating with its South African counterparts to supply 300MW of electricity.
Ferrochrome and platinum refineries are not operating at full capacity at the moment owing to a decline in commodity prices. As a result of this, the ferrochrome industry has excess dedicated power supplied by Eskom.
Meanwhile, Sunbird Bioenergy Limited has entered into an agreement with the government and China New Energy to develop a bioenergy project which will produce 120 million litres of fuel grade ethanol from cassava and potato. The project will be in the Mushumbi Pools area in Mashonaland Central.
The project will result in the building of an ethanol production plant and a 36-megawatt (MW) biomass power station. The power station will supply electricity to the ethanol plant and the remainder (33MW) will be channelled into the national power grid subject to a Power Purchasing Agreement with the Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company.
The project will also benefit from the increased ethanol blending ratio to 20%. Sunbird Bioenergy will create a nucleus farm, and divide the remaining land into plots that will be given to local outgrowers from 23 000 hectares of land that has been allocated for the development by government.
Source - newsday
