Zimbabwe’s national power utility has warned of extended load-shedding across the country due to decreased electricity generation at the Hwange Thermal Power Station.
In a statement released on Saturday evening, the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) said a technical problem with Unit 8, which has a 300 MW capacity, at the Hwange Thermal Power Station has led to a shortfall in electricity supply on the national grid.
“ZESA Holdings would like to inform its valued customers that the national power grid is currently experiencing reduced electricity generation capacity due to a technical challenge that occurred at the Hwange Thermal Power Station’s Unit 8,” the statement said.
As a result, the utility has had to implement increased load-shedding schedules to balance electricity supply and demand.
ZESA said its technical teams are working to resolve the fault and minimise the impact on customers.
The announcement comes as ZESA’s power generation subsidiary, the Zimbabwe Power Company, reported earlier on Saturday that the Hwange Thermal Power Station was generating just 635 MW of electricity – a significant drop from the more than 1,000 MW it was previously produced.
The technical issue at the Hwange plant is the latest blow to Zimbabwe’s beleaguered electricity sector, which has been plagued by aging infrastructure, insufficient investment and drought-induced low water levels at its hydroelectric dams.
The prolonged power cuts are expected to have severe consequences for businesses and households across the country, hampering economic activity and disrupting daily life.
