The Zimbabwe Power Company coal suppliers failed to meet their delivery targets resulting in the low production of electricity than expected in the first quarter of the year.
The power company missed its production target by 5 per cent having 1789,80 gigawatts(GWh) against 1902,76 GWh.
“Coal suppliers failed to meet their delivery targets for the quarter due to various challenges being faced by the coal miners, chief amongst them being delayed recapitalization for key mining equipment and cash flows,” said the ZPC Managing Director Noah Gwariro in The Source an online publication.
The main coal suppliers, Hwange Colliery Company Limited and Makomo Resource were tightening screws on ZPC’s Hwange Power Station (HPS) due to non-payment of arrears in May this year according to Financial Gazette.
Besides inadequate coal supplies, ZPC also faced challenges with water conservation measures at Lake Kariba, as well as numerous boiler tube leaks and outages at Hwange Power Station.
Gwariro said Lake Kariba is currently 56.20 percent full with water levels rising from 481.01 metres at the end of the first quarter to 483.19 metres at the end of June 2017 according to The Source.
Water from Lake Kariba is used in the production of electricity at Kariba Hydroelectricity Power Station. The hydroelectricity power station which was generating 285 megawatts (MW) last year is expected to produce 485 Mw this year. ZPC is producing 1253 MW according to its website. This is not enough for the country as more electricity is being imported from neighbouring countries to meet the demand.
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