Story by Mhlomuli Ncube
POWER utility Zesa Holdings has set its sights on expanding the country’s electricity generation capacity through the development of four additional units under its long-term energy strategy.
The plan was outlined during an oversight visit by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Energy and Power Development to Hwange Thermal Power Station, where legislators assessed progress on ongoing projects and Zesa’s preparedness for future expansion.
The initiative builds on the recent commissioning of Units 7 and 8, which have significantly bolstered national supply but have also highlighted the need for further investment to meet growing industrial and household demand.
Zesa Holdings Group Acting Chief Executive Officer, Engineer Cleopas Nyachowe, said the proposed units would form part of a broader mix of thermal, solar and geothermal projects aimed at modernising the country’s power infrastructure.
“We are calling them Hwange 9, 10, 11, and 12, but they may not necessarily be based around this area. You know this region is rich in coal here in Binga and other areas, but most likely Hwange 9 and 10 will be closer to this location, and 11 and 12 will be in another area. So this is an initiative that we are pushing, of course, together with green energy initiatives like solar and geothermal, which are also prominent around this place,” Engineer Nyachowe, said.
As Zimbabwe gears up for the 2026 national budget, the Portfolio Committee revealed that it has vested interests in appreciating the operations of ZESA, which is a capital-intensive entity.
In its bid for national energy self-sufficiency, Zimbabwe, under the Second Republic, continues to invest in energy and power development.
Thermal, hydro, solar, and other forms of energy are being rolled out to continue to increase capacity on the national grid.
