Without giving the names of the producers, Zesa spokesperson Fullard Gwasira said the 13 private producers had been licensed, a development that is expected to improve electricity generation in the country.
“The companies said tariffs in Zimbabwe were uneconomic, but we have some of the cheapest tariffs in the region. They should start generating electricity when they agree on viable tariffs,” he said yesterday.
Confederation of Zimbabwe Industries (CZI) president, Joseph Kanyekanye, yesterday said the government had shot down industry request for an opportunity to import power directly.
“We have individual firms issued with licences, but with no firm date to commence,” he said.
He said Zimbabwe was wasting time with elaborate feasibility studies when China Development Bank had funds to provide 1 200MW of power via Hwange and Kariba.
“It is like an insolvent company asking a bank to draft a fund acceptance manual before accepting any money,” he said.
Zimbabwe’s power utility is scouting for international investors to fund a US$1,3 billion expansion programme meant to end the country’s worsening electricity shortages.
The Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) says it is failing to meet the estimated 2 200 megawatts (MW) of the country’s electricity demands as its power stations have an installed capacity of about 1 900 MW, but are generating below 1 400MW.
The current power stations were built in the 1950s and designed for a smaller population, with little capacity added since independence in 1980. This has forced ZESA to ration supplies to both commercial and domestic users.
Post published in: Business