Staff Reporter
ZESA Holdings is set to ensure that transmission and power evacuation lines from the joint Batoka Gorge Hydro Power Plant (BGHPP) project stretches all the way to Chakari.
A contact from ZESA Said: “On completion of the joint BGHPP project between Zambia and Zimbabwe, ZESA Holdings informed the project developers, the Consortium of Power China and General Electric (CPCGE), that it prefers the BGHPP project to include transmission, and power evacuation lines from Batoka to Chakari on the Zimbabwean side, so that power from Batoka is not limited to Hwange,” contact said.
ZESA has been on a drive to improve electricity availability in the country, hence it undertook a number of projects to ensure there is adequate energy for domestic use, industrial and farming production.
Speaking during a media tour of Hwange Power Station recently, ZESA Executive Chairman, Sydney Gata said electricity black-outs would be a thing of the past once the BGHPP project is complete as it has a capacity of producing 2400MW.
“Batoka has a total capacity of 2400 MW shared between Zambia and Zimbabwe. It’s only 1200 MW for Zimbabwean side and 1200MW for the Zambian side,” said Gata.
Gata proceeded to give a brief history on the BGHPP, while reassuring that its completion will see electricity being accessed by all the country’s peripherals and marginalised areas.
“If you look at Batoka briefly, it was actually started in 1962, but activity was slowed down due to the armed struggle. There was nowhere it could be done in Zambezi. They actually migrated this project from Batoka to Hwange.
“There was a first attempt after independence in 1984 to resume the project which didn’t succeed. There were some disagreements. Then in 2012 after the disagreements had been resolved, the project resumed and since 2019, we are in that developing phase and there there is not much progress,” said Gata.
Furthermore, he commended the artisans and engineers that operate the old Hwange Power Station for their expertise, as they continue to ensure energy is distributed across the country religiously.
“Vakomana varikuyita operate this power station and are able to get anything out of them, to me they are heroes. I know that they are heroes until you show me a Mercedes benz that is 38years old and running at full speed non-stop,” Gata said.
Meanwhile, the 2400 MW BGHPP which is a Built Operate and Transfer (BOT) project is worth US$4.7 billion, and both Governments of Zimbabwe and Zambia are required to issue out a Sovereign Guarantee for the project, as they do not yet own BGHPP until a concessionary period of 25years lapses.
