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Zesa Explains National Blackouts
Restoration to most parts of the country has been completed, except for areas under load shedding
Zimbabwe’s power utility Zesa has explained the two national blackouts on Monday night and yesterday afternoon, attributing them to “an imbalance in the international connectors, which affected the national grids of Zimbabwe and some parts of the region.”
Power outages in Zimbabwe have become a harsh reality, with many households and businesses experiencing up to 20-hour power cuts.
The country’s energy crisis is attributed to its limited power generation capacity, which falls short of meeting the peak demand of 1 850MW.
Currently, Zimbabwe’s three power generation plants, including the Hwange Thermal Power Station and the Kariba Hydrothermal Power Station, produce less than 1 200MW.
The situation is exacerbated by that Independent Power Producers contribute a negligible 38MW to the national grid.
As a result, many households and businesses are resorting to alternative energy sources, such as solar power and charcoal, which are becoming increasingly popular despite being expensive for ordinary people.
The power outages are having a devastating impact on homes and businesses, particularly large manufacturers like National Foods, which have seen a significant increase in diesel uptake to power generators.
A number of companies are now contemplating solar power installations to mitigate the effects of the power outages.
Tobacco farmers, who are a significant contributor to Zimbabwe’s foreign currency earnings, are also struggling to complete their irrigation cycles due to the power outages.
Government has acknowledged the energy crisis and says it is working on a new roadmap to address the issue by 2025.
The plan involves increasing power generation capacity through a mix of fossil energy and green energy projects, with the private sector playing a leading role in the process.
