Upgrading of Bulawayo Power Station begins

THE upgrading of the Bulawayo Thermal Power Station through the $87 million credit line from the Export-Import Bank of India has started, with a target of ramping up production to 35MW by the end of next month, an official has said.

The power station is generating 30MW due to aged infrastructure. The power plant manager Tom Tshuma yesterday told the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines and Energy that plans to increase the station's power generation capacity to 90MW by 2018 were underway.

The committee is on a national tour of the country's power stations to assess possibilities to increase power generation and challenges faced.

"The station plans to ramp up production to around 35MW by December 2015 so as to mitigate the water shortages at Kariba. We've started working on our target," said Tshuma.

"The challenges that we've been facing include low availability of boiler plant due to frequent refractory failures, jammed chain grates and boiler fouling," said Tshuma.

Cashflow problems, Tshuma said and limited capacity on power evacuation feeders due to insufficient allocations have also been affecting progress at the plant.

He said the upgrading of the power plant to 90MW will take approximately two years.

"The $87 million was availed for the repowering project by the India Exim Bank through the government to government arrangement. The credit line will help us achieve our long-term plans, which include increasing our power generation capacity to 90MW," said Tshuma. "The project includes replacing the obsolete chain grate boilers with circulating fluidised boilers (CFB) and refurbishing the turbo-alternaters. The coal and water treatment plants will also be refurbished while water will be supplied from Khami Dam."

The acting chairperson of the committee, who is also the National Assembly Member for Uzumba constituency Simbaneuta Mudarikwa commended the government for securing the credit line, saying it would go a long way in improving power generation in the country. "Most of the equipment at the power station is outdated and needs replacement. We're happy with the new positive developments and we're impressed with the good work that's being done at the Bulawayo Power Station.

"It's our legislative oversight to see the challenges that are being faced by our power stations and make sure that they are addressed," said Mudarikwa.

He added that electricity was a vital component for development. "No nation can develop without power. It's therefore important for the nation to generate adequate power to promote social and economic development.

"After the tour, we will submit our findings to the executive and also contribute ideas on how the country can bring more players and investors to improve power generation," he said.

The committee visited Hwange Power Station on Monday and will be in Kariba tomorrow to assess water levels in the dam and progress on the new power station.