- Zimbabweʼs peak electricity demand is about 1,800MW against a generation capacity of about 1,500MW.
- Zimbabwe will meet its electricity demand through imports from Mozambique, South Africa, and Zambia.
The director of energy conservation and renewable energy in the Ministry of Energy and Power Development of Zimbabwe, Dr Sosten Ziuku, has said Zimbabweʼs electricity access rate is now 62 per cent, according to the 2022 census.
According to him, this is a combination of both on-grid and off-grid systems. Speaking at the high-level regional dialogue on just energy transition, natural resource governance and climate change in Southern Africa on Tuesday, Dr Ziuku said the country’s peak electricity demand is about 1,800MW against a generation capacity of about 1,500MW.
This translates to a deficit of at least 300MW, which has to be met through imports. The dialogue, organised by the Southern African Trust, attracted representatives from the SADC region and other stakeholders to explore issues around energy transition and climate change.
Dr Ziuku said that when conditions are right, Zimbabwe will meet its electricity demand through imports from Mozambique, South Africa, and Zambia. “We are performing well, especially considering the acute power deficit in the entire Southern African region. As a result, we are often forced to do some frequent load shedding, which, of course, may not be good in a way or two,” he noted.
Of an estimated population of about 600 million people in Sub-Saharan Africa, over 50 per cent have no access to electricity. Of the 1,500MW generated in Zimbabwe, almost two-thirds now come from coal, with the balance generated from hydroelectric and solar power plants.
Yesterday, Hwange Power Station was generating 824MW, Kariba 668MW and independent power producers 46MW, making a total of 1,538 MW. As a result, the minister pledged that the Zimbabwean Government’s commitment to improving power generation and supply.
He added that Zimbabwe was exploring ways of repurposing its thermal power plants to ensure a just transition. He urged the participants not to look at the issue of just transition in isolation away from energy access.