Jasper Hloka and Claver Nyuki

The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Energy and Power Development today concluded its four-day tour of Zimbabwe Power Company’s (ZPC) power plants by touring the Hwange Power Extension Project in Hwange.

The state of the art 600 Mega Watt power plant is 20 percent complete with foundations of most vital installations in place. ZPC management assured the 27 member Committee of the capacity of the new plant to significantly contribute to the national grid; adding that by the end of December 2019, it would be 30 percent complete.

Legislators were briefed on the new generation facility which is business efficient and environmentally friendly by Engineer Magabira who indicated that the initiative comes with huge benefits ranging from self-sufficiency, economic growth stimulation and employment creation.

Eng Magabira said that “the project will generally see a reduction of power importation. There is definitely going to be stimulation of economic growth through consumption of local resources (10 %) as stipulated by the Economic Procurement Contract (EPC). At its peak the project will employ at least 3 000 employees.”

He added that the new plant would incorporate the use of limestone to manage gaseous emissions into the atmosphere.

The legislators drawn from both ZANU PF and MDC Alliance took turns to grill the engineers and ZPC management on the US$1.4 billion project saying there was urgent need for the utility to initiate and mitigate against the crippling power cuts.

ZANU PF Bikita legislator, Engineer Elias Masakwa, however, applauded progress made so far stating that this was evidence indeed there is economic growth as far as infrastructure development is concerned.

Hwange power extension is one of Government’s national projects initiated to realize the vision of making Zimbabwe a middle income economy by 2030.