Source: Kariba faces decommissioning | The Sunday News 3 NOVEMBER 2019
Munyaradzi Musiiwa/Peter Matika, Sunday News Reporters
POWER company Zesa, has recorded its lowest power generation capacity at Kariba in years amid fears that the country’s main source of electricity could be decommissioned this month.
According to statistics posted at Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) website on Friday, Kariba Power Station was producing just 81 Megawatts out of the installed capacity of 1 050 MW. The other power stations were also at below capacity with Harare producing 15 MW while Hwange is only generating 376 MW bringing it to a total of 472MW. Bulawayo and Munyati are off.
In an interview, Zesa Holdings acting group chief executive officer Engineer Patrick Chivaura said there were fears that the Kariba Power Station could be decommissioned due to low water levels. Eng Chivaura said Kariba has dropped to maximum of 190 MW from its designed capacity of 1 050 MW.
Eng Chivaura said provided the rains come early then the power station might not be decommissioned.
“We received good rains a few days back and if we continue to have good rains our hope is that the station will not be decommissioned,” he said.
Zimbabwe is importing supplementary power from South African power utility, Eskom and Mozambican power utility Hydro Cahora Bassa (HCB).
Meanwhile, Zesa has continued to assure customers that its billing system has not changed, saying that charges do not differ and will remain the same at any given day of the month.
“The correct position is that customers can buy the first 50 units at 41 cents, the next 150 units (51-200) at 91 cents and any other purchases beyond the 200 units are charged at $3,87,” read part of the statement, stating that charges apply at any day of a given month.
Last Friday, hundreds of Bulawayo residents thronged the Zesa revenue halls in the city in the mistaken belief that the power utility had a promotion to sell electricity at discounted tariffs on the first day of every month.
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COMMENTS
Kariba lake is at 10 % at present I am told by reliable sources. Zambezi River Authority is not releasing lake levels presently as like ZW inflation it is a state secret comrades
According to google it’s 17% usable capacity which is 74% actually full. However of more worry to you ought to be the trend year upon year of ever decreasing ‘top up’, in other words its a downward spiraling trend. The cause of this is most likely to be global worming and lower rainfall. Look like the ilghts could go out seriously. It is a point to wonder at when faced with this trend, additional generating capacity was installed, Would this money have not been better spent in the different sphere.
Comrade HIM – you are asleep comrade ! – if you look at Zambezi river authority website you will see kariba was at 17 per cent on 30 September 2019 – today is 4 November – so your numbers are about nearly 6 weeks out of date. Get with it comrade or maybe just have another castle
I apologize ‘Mr Ace’. However to me and certain to you will agree, the downward trend is more worrying then today’s water level. If the land does not get replenished and thus run into the lake , the inevitable result is ‘Lights out’.
Which ever argument you use the situation is as you initially indicated – I say Dire. The point of turning the generators off must be very near now. I do hope that this is not delayed as the stability of the dam (or is it damn) wall would then be in jeopardy.