In Zimbabwe, the re-commissioning of the Hwange Thermal Power Station’s unit number three has been delayed. According to reports out of the southern African country, some of the reconstruction has yet to be completed. The thermal plant was originally scheduled to come back online at the end of December; however delays in construction have pushed the timetable back a few weeks.
Unit number three is being refurbished under the $40 million inter-utility deal between Zesa Holdings and NamPower. The Namibian utility now says that it will take another $10 million to complete the construction. Under the deal, NamPower will help to refurbish four units at Hwange Thermal Power Station to boost its output by 480 MW.
Zesa Holdings Chief Executive Ben Rafemoyo said that re-commissioning of the plant was now scheduled for the end of January. The companies are waiting for materials to arrive from South Africa before the project can be completed. "We are hoping that recommissioning would be done in three to four weeks’ time," he said in early January.
The project is expected to be completed in August 2008 and Hwange will generate electricity at maximum capacity, overtaking the 750MW Kariba South as Zimbabwe’s largest generating station.
The Hwange generators are capable of producing 480MW but have operated on and off as Hwange has struggled to cope with frequent equipment breakdowns and coal shortages.
The rehabilitation of the Hwange power station would have major benefits for not only Zimbabwe and Namibia, but also the rest of the southern African region.
The 180MW from Hwange would be transmitted through South Africa because the Caprivi power line linking Namibia and Zimbabwe will not be completed until the year 2009.