Story by Gay Matambo
The five-megawatt Mutirikwi Mini-Hydro Power Plant in Masvingo has become one of the significant milestones under the Second Republic, which has identified energy as a key driver of Vision 2030.
The plant was completed late last year and is now operating at full capacity.
The Mutirikwi Mini Hydro Power station is one of the major projects implemented by the Second Republic in Masvingo Province as part of government’s energy self-sufficiency drive.
The project is harnessing the abundant water resources of Mutirikwi to generate electricity which is being fed into the national grid.
Masvingo Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Honourable Ezra Chadzamira said, “Masvingo was receiving two megawatts of electricity from the national, but because of the devolution policy that says when you are generating electricity you have to use it locally, now we have an additional 5 megawatts which have been added to what we were receiving, that means an end to load shedding in Masvingo town. All the institutions which are very critical such as the hospital and also the pump station which supplies water to Masvingo urban and security departments now have permanent electricity supply.”
The Mini Hydro Power plant, which has been operational since November last year, has emerged as a major boost to the country’s energy needs.
“On 9 November, we reached commercial operation stage which means we started to put power into the national grid. This means we are fully operating at 100 percent, 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year and we are generating 5 megawatts. As of now, we are exceeding 5 megawatts which means our plant to some extent can exceed the 5 megawatts rated for this plant,” Mutirikwi Hydro Power Plant site manager Mr Austin Boora noted.
“We get around 120 megawatt hours per day. This is the energy that the plant can produce for 24 hours, 5 megawatts is the power but then if we want to find the amount of energy that is actually supplied in 24 hours is 120 megawatt hours. The 5 megawatts is able to supply 3000 households with electricity,” noted Mutirikwi Hydro Power Plant Manager Engineer Justice Jangano.
The Mutirikwi Mini Hydro Power Station will not only contribute to closing energy gaps in Zimbabwe, but will also ensure irrigation pumping from the lake is maintained while providing some assured power for users in the area, in a development that has excited the community.
“As a community, we were lagging behind in so many areas, especially when it comes to irrigation due to power cuts. People want to venture into many projects, especially in farming so the availability of electricity is step in the right direction,” said a community member.
President Emmerson Mnangagwa is on record emphasising the importance of energy self-sufficiency for the attainment of an upper middle income society by 2030.
Government is on a drive to maximise use of water in the country’s dams, not only for domestic use, but for economic purposes which include power generation, with the construction of another mini Hydro Power station at Tugwi Mukosi Dam in Masvingo Province on the cards.
