News / National
Hwange Power Station output increases as repairs near completion
4 hrs ago | Views
Zimbabwe's largest coal-fired power plant, the Hwange Thermal Power Station, is steadily recovering operations after a technical fault earlier this month disrupted power production on several units.
The incident, which occurred on May 4, was caused by an acid ingress that affected Units 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6. At the time of the fault, the station was generating 498 megawatts (MW) of electricity.
In a statement issued Thursday, ZESA Holdings confirmed that repairs have since been completed on all affected units, and power generation is progressively being restored.
"Hwange Power Station experienced a technical fault on 4 May 2025 following an acid ingress incident on Units 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6," said the utility. "Units 1, 2, and 3 are now back online, generating a combined total of 212 MW."
ZESA noted that Unit 3 is still ramping up and is expected to bring the combined output of the three units to 260 MW by midday on May 14.
"Unit 4 has successfully passed all safety and performance tests after repairs and is scheduled to be reconnected to the grid around midday on Thursday, 15 May," the statement added.
However, Unit 6, which was briefly restored on May 9, developed a separate and unrelated issue shortly after resuming operation. The unit is now offline again and is expected to return to service by May 27.
Despite the challenges, national power generation has significantly improved. As of Thursday, Hwange was producing 920 MW, while the Kariba hydro-power station contributed 400 MW. Independent Power Producers added 41 MW, bringing total electricity generation to 1,370 MW.
The restoration at Hwange comes as a relief for both domestic and industrial consumers, who have faced intermittent power outages due to the strained national grid.
The incident, which occurred on May 4, was caused by an acid ingress that affected Units 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6. At the time of the fault, the station was generating 498 megawatts (MW) of electricity.
In a statement issued Thursday, ZESA Holdings confirmed that repairs have since been completed on all affected units, and power generation is progressively being restored.
"Hwange Power Station experienced a technical fault on 4 May 2025 following an acid ingress incident on Units 1, 2, 3, 4, and 6," said the utility. "Units 1, 2, and 3 are now back online, generating a combined total of 212 MW."
ZESA noted that Unit 3 is still ramping up and is expected to bring the combined output of the three units to 260 MW by midday on May 14.
"Unit 4 has successfully passed all safety and performance tests after repairs and is scheduled to be reconnected to the grid around midday on Thursday, 15 May," the statement added.
However, Unit 6, which was briefly restored on May 9, developed a separate and unrelated issue shortly after resuming operation. The unit is now offline again and is expected to return to service by May 27.
Despite the challenges, national power generation has significantly improved. As of Thursday, Hwange was producing 920 MW, while the Kariba hydro-power station contributed 400 MW. Independent Power Producers added 41 MW, bringing total electricity generation to 1,370 MW.
The restoration at Hwange comes as a relief for both domestic and industrial consumers, who have faced intermittent power outages due to the strained national grid.
Source - the chronicle
