His Excellency, President Emmerson Mnangagwa, is set to lead the groundbreaking ceremony for a new 720-megawatt power station in Hwange, Matabeleland North Province, next week. Investor interest continues to grow in Matabeleland North, which is becoming a hub for coal mining and power generation projects.
The construction of the 720-megawatt power station follows the commissioning of Hwange Units 7 and 8 in August last year. These units have helped mitigate the reduced power output from the Kariba hydroelectric plant, which has been affected by low water levels. The new power station is expected to further alleviate load shedding, which has left some areas enduring power outages lasting over 18 hours daily.
Zimbabwe requires approximately 2,000 megawatts of electricity per day; however, current generation levels fall significantly short of this demand, leaving many households without power.
The government, in collaboration with the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA), has attributed the ongoing power shortages to breakdowns at Hwange’s generation plants and low water levels at the Kariba Dam—two of the country’s primary electricity sources.
To address this, the government is working to expand domestic generation capacity through new energy projects. These initiatives aim to ensure an adequate electricity supply for key productive sectors such as mining, manufacturing, and agriculture, which are experiencing increased activity, further driving electricity demand.
