News / National
System failure cost Zesa 1,000MW
30 Jun 2016 at 08:52hrs | Views
POWER utility Zesa Holdings lost nearly 1,000 megawatts, equivalent to Zimbabwe's current internal output, after a system disturbance that cut imported power supplies from Mozambique and Zambia on Tuesday.
The system failure also affected supplies from Kariba South Power Station, which is generating a declared 285MW instead of 750MW, due to reduced water allocation to avoid depleting the lake.
The amount of power lost on Tuesday is significantly higher than individual capacities of each of Zimbabwe's two biggest power stations at any given time, especially their current output capacity.
Kariba South, which had its water usage rationed by riparian river manager (Zambezi River Authority), can however scale up output to capacity at peak demand using water conserved when it drops production during the off peak periods, during afternoons.
Hwange Power Station, currently producing an average of 500MW, was not affected due to interventions Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company put in place for such eventualities.
"Hwange Power Station was, however, not affected because of the interventions which ZETDC has been putting in place towards protection of generators from system swings. These interventions are being rolled out to protect all stations in future. Kariba is currently being restated," Zesa spokesperson Fullard Gwasira said.
Zimbabwe imports power from Zambia, Mozambique and South Africa to bridge the deficit between demand supplies. Peak demand stands at 1,500MW, but generation capacity currently is at 1,000MW.
The system failure also affected supplies from Kariba South Power Station, which is generating a declared 285MW instead of 750MW, due to reduced water allocation to avoid depleting the lake.
The amount of power lost on Tuesday is significantly higher than individual capacities of each of Zimbabwe's two biggest power stations at any given time, especially their current output capacity.
Kariba South, which had its water usage rationed by riparian river manager (Zambezi River Authority), can however scale up output to capacity at peak demand using water conserved when it drops production during the off peak periods, during afternoons.
Hwange Power Station, currently producing an average of 500MW, was not affected due to interventions Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company put in place for such eventualities.
"Hwange Power Station was, however, not affected because of the interventions which ZETDC has been putting in place towards protection of generators from system swings. These interventions are being rolled out to protect all stations in future. Kariba is currently being restated," Zesa spokesperson Fullard Gwasira said.
Zimbabwe imports power from Zambia, Mozambique and South Africa to bridge the deficit between demand supplies. Peak demand stands at 1,500MW, but generation capacity currently is at 1,000MW.
Source - chronicle
