ZIMBABWE expects to begin accessing power from Mozambique’s Cahora Bassa as it moves to put its ongoing economic development agenda back on the rails, President Mnangagwa has said.
The Head of State and Government recently met his Mozambican counterpart President Filipe Nyusi to explore ways of deepening relations between Harare and Maputo.
The two leaders also discussed the possibility for Cahora Bassa to cover the country’s power deficit.
In an interview with US-media company Bloomberg, President Mnangagwa said the deal “is going to be consummated soon”.
“With regard to the issue of electricity, barring the issue of climate change, things were on course,” he said.
“We had seen the need for generating more electricity; this is why we have those various projects I have mentioned.
“There are smaller ones which I have not mentioned, but that was the issue: to make sure that we have adequate energy generation, but since I have been here, I have discussed with my counterpart, the President of Mozambique (Filipe Nyusi), to look at Cahora Bassa assisting us.
“Yes, we are weak on the financial side, but it is possible for us to strike a relationship where we can access the amount of power we need, the deficit we need to cover from Cahora Bassa and I think that is going to be consummated very soon so that we go back on course, but also we continue to implement our own projects in regard to that.”
While water levels in Kariba Dam have dropped to about 33 percent owing to the drought that hit the country during the 2018/2019 rain season, Cahora Bassa is 96 percent full.
Power generation at Kariba Hydropower Station has been cut by 50 percent, resulted in Zesa resorting to load-shedding.
Zambia has been similarly affected.
Government believes that its goal to become an upper middle-income economy by 2030, is also anchored on stable electricity supply with indications it the country will need 4 000MW, which is more than 100 percent the current generation capacity.
Already, the US$1,5 billion Hwange Thermal Power Station expansion project, which will add an additional 600MW into the grid, is underway.
The other generating units will soon be refurbished.
The Batoka Gorge project – expected to generate 2 400MW to be jointly shared by Zimbabwe and Zambia – is well underway after the consortium of General Electric and China Power was awarded the tender for the project.State media
