Story by Josephine Mugiyo, Diplomatic Correspondent
ZIMBABWE’s power supply is set for a further boost as rehabilitation works on Hwange Thermal Power Station’s ageing Units One to Six are expected to begin imminently, following the strong performance of the recently commissioned Units Seven and Eight.
Commissioned by President Emmerson Mnangagwa in August 2023, Units Seven and Eight added 600 megawatts to the national grid and have since exceeded operational targets, providing consistent electricity supply while advancing skills transfer to local engineers and technicians.
“From August 3, when the two units were commissioned, the performance has been very good. In 2025, we surpassed our target by 8.8 percent. In terms of capacity, we were operating at above 99 percent,” said HESCO Acting Facility Site Manager, Engineer Ngonidzashe Dzumbira.
Construction of the two units began in 2018 and was completed in 2023. Their stable output has reinforced confidence in the expansion and rehabilitation of Hwange, Zimbabwe’s largest thermal power station.
Alongside power generation, the project includes a six-year skills transfer programme agreed between Sinohydro and Hwange Power Station, aimed at building local technical capacity.
“So far, the knowledge transfer has been good. About 60 percent of the people employed here are now handling critical jobs and can work with minimal supervision from the Chinese experts,” said Section Head for Maintenance, Engineer Nyasha Charivanda.
Local staff say the programme has enabled Zimbabweans to take up senior operational roles.
“I started as a trainee. Now we have Zimbabweans performing senior duties. The learning process is going well,” said turbine and boiler operator, Tawanda Mujeri.
Attention is now turning to Units One to Six, which were commissioned in 1984 and are operating below capacity due to ageing equipment and years of deferred maintenance. The units are currently producing about 300 megawatts against an installed capacity of more than 700 megawatts.
“Over the past decade, the plant suffered from limited major maintenance because it remained the backbone of electricity supply. We could not afford to shut it down completely for servicing,” said ZPC Maintenance Manager, Engineer Tonderai Machiwana.
Relief is expected following the entry of investor Jindal, which has signed an agreement to rehabilitate the six units at a cost of about US$450 million.
“We are excited that rehabilitation, which has been on the horizon for some time, is finally arriving. We will be working with Jindal, bringing in about US$450 million of investment to restore the units,” said Hwange Power Station General Manager, Engineer Shepherd Mukundu.
When commissioning Units Seven and Eight, President Mnangagwa said the expansion of Hwange was not the final step in securing energy stability. The planned rehabilitation of Units One to Six is expected to significantly increase generation capacity and strengthen the reliability of Zimbabwe’s national grid.
