The Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution said Sunday it has begun daily 12-hour power cuts due limited generation at its thermal plant and repairs on the dam at Kariba Hydro Power Station.
The company “is experiencing a power shortfall due to generation constraints at Hwange Power Station, limited imports and a program of dam wall rehabilitation at Kariba,” ZETDC said in an emailed statement.
The power shortfall is being managed through load shedding in order to “balance the power supply available and the connected load.”
Hwange Thermal Power Station is the country’s biggest, with an installed capacity of 920 MW, but suffers frequent breakdowns due to aging equipment. The plant in western Zimbabwe is undergoing an expansion to add 600 MW.
The Kariba Power Station is currently undergoing a $294-million project which is being financed by the African Development Bank, World Bank, Swedish government and European Union.
The Southern African country has an installed capacity of 2 100 MW but generates an average of 1 200 MW to 1 300 MW with the shortfall being met through imports.