BULAWAYO POWER STATION TO BE REFURBISHED
By Khumbulani Maphosa – Media and Publications Officer

BULAWAYO – Latest media reports suggest that Zimbabwe’s ZESA Holdings has clinched an agreement with Botswana’s power company, Botswana Power Corporation, which will result in the refurbishment of the derelict and unused Bulawayo Power Station.

Presenting the latest developments to the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Mines and Energy, the Zimbabwe Power Company managing director Mr Noah Gwariro, is quoted in the Chronicle revealing that the Intergovernmental agreement will be officially signed on the 15th of May 2010. He further revealed that ‘ a loan agreement will also be signed with Zesa Holdings while BPC and Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company will sign a power purchase agreement.’
After the refurbishment, the power company is expected to produce around 90MW, of which 40MW would be exported to Botswana.

Comment
Habakkuk Trust has been advocating on the issue of power and energy and on 29 September 2008 the organisation held an Indaba on Energy, which was attended by residents, ZESA Regional managers, CSOs, the academia, media personnel and Bulawayo Councillors and Council staff. At this Indaba it was suggested that the power utility (ZETDC) should explore other sources of energy such as wind and solar. Calls were further made for the maximization and refurbishment of all existing electricity generation plants.
The Bulawayo City Council, with support from the residents, challenged ZETDC to hand back the Bulawayo Thermal Power station to the local authority as it had previously run it well.
Bulawayo residents will also be hoping that the refurbishment of the power station will increase the power supply in the city thus boost the industrial and commercial operational capacity which has been adversely affected by long hours of load-shedding.