MIRROR REPORTER 

HARARE – The Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (Zesa) is poised to wipe out the country’s power deficit of 500 megawatts (MW) in the next few years as projects under the utility’s short and long term recapitalisation strategy are on stream, a top official has told The Mirror.

Speaking in an interview at the Zimbabwe Agricultural Show (ZAS) in Harare on Monday last week, Zesa marketing manager Prosper Mutswiri, said the country currently has a demand of 1 800MW compared to a supply of 1 300MW thereby leaving a deficit of 500MW.

The deficit is currently being covered through imports and load shedding.

Mutswiri however, said that Zesa Executive Chairman Sydney Gata has declared 2022, the year of recapitalisation and there are numerous major power generating projects for both renewable and non-renewable energy that are coming on stream between now and 2030. He said these would see the company covering the deficit and even creating surplus for export.

He said of the current supply, 900MW are coming from Kariba Extension, Hwange is supplying 300 to 400MW and Munyati is chipping in with about 30MW. As a way of covering the deficit, Hwange 7 and 8 recapitalisation projects are 92% complete and will add a further 600MW of power. 

He however, said in the meantime, demand is also expected to rise from the current 1 800MW to 2 100MW as a result of the expansion of the economy.

But that rise in demand will be met by the coming on stream of a plethora of energy projects initiated by Zesa.