By Ebi Kesiena
The Zimbabwean government has taken steps to address the country’s severe power shortages by signing consultancy contracts aimed at supporting independent power producers (IPPs).
To bolster generation capacity, the government noted that it has signed six consultancy contracts under the AfDB project. These contracts include a wind resource assessment consultancy with an implementation period until June 2026.
These efforts are part of the Zimbabwe Energy Sector Reform Support project, funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB). The project, intended to improve the energy sector, is addressing issues exacerbated by low generation at key power stations like Hwange and Kariba.
“All consultancy contracts have been signed and implementation is progressing well. The implementation period for the wind resource assessment is until June 2026,” the African Development Bank (AfDB) said in an update of a project titled Zimbabwe Energy Sector Reform Support, which it is funding.
Currently, Hwange Power Station is generating 899MW and Kariba South Hydro Power Station is generating 292MW, totaling 1,191MW – falling short of the daily demand of 1,825MW.
The AfDB has supported this initiative with a loan approved in November 2021, but only a fraction has been disbursed so far. Despite challenges, including the need for an extension to complete the wind resource assessment, the project’s overall performance is rated satisfactory. Its goal is to create a conducive environment for IPPs, leveraging Zimbabwe’s abundant solar and wind energy potential, estimated at over 5,000MW along the Zambezi River.
Meanwhile, IPP projects contribute only 43MW to the grid, highlighting the urgent need for enhanced capacity to mitigate ongoing power outages and support economic growth in Zimbabwe.
“The government is in the process of submitting a request to extend the project closing date from May 31, 2025 to June 30, 2026. All outcomes are expected to be achieved by the proposed new project closing date of June 30, 2026,” the bank said.
