Published: 01 April 2014

Five out of six power generating units at Hwange Thermal Power Station are operating with an output of $518 mega watts, a development expected to reduce load shedding.

The resuscitation of the fifth power generating unit comes after three weeks of intensive work by local engineers to ensure that there is increased power generation on the national grid following successive faults in neighbouring South Africa which extensively damaged the country's generating units.

Information from Hwange shows that the fifth unit has been in operation since last week Wednesday and hopes are high that the development will reduce load shedding which had become very intense, affecting the manufacturing industry and households.

Sources said work at the sixth unit has begun though it will take time to bring the generating unit to life as there is need to import various components that were severely damaged at the end of February following a fault in South Africa.

The power station has been operating with four generating units since February, generating below 400 megawatts which impacted negatively on the supply of electricity across the country.

Analysts have called upon the government to speedily finalise the installation of power protection systems at Hwange Thermal Power Station to avoid major breakdowns caused by faults from neighbouring countries. 
- zbc

You might also want to read this

• ZETDC vending system crashes
• Zesa announces more load shedding
• Why Zimbabwe quadrupled its electricity prices
• Zesa to review power tariffs monthly
• Powerless Zesa blacklists debtors
• Zesa announces shock tariffs hike
• Another Zesa tariff hike looms
• New Zesa board will have its work cut out
• Prepaid electricity vending system up today
• Power supply to improve long-term