Zimbabwe to Increase Power Imports From Mozambique

Zimbabwe is negotiating with Mozambique’s Hidrelectrica de Cahora Bassa (HCB) in a move that will see Harare importing additional electricity Maputo, a state-run weekly reported on Sunday.

The Sunday Mail said the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) was “positioning itself for further supplies from its Mozambican counterparts” following the refurbishment and subsequent increase in generation capacity of the Cahora Bassa power station.

“The completion of the Cahora Bassa refurbishment will benefit Zimbabwe, as this will result in more reliable power supplies from that power station. Possibilities of negotiating for additional guaranteed power are also there,” ZESA chief executive Ben Rafemoyo told the Sunday Mail.

Zimbabwe already imports 200 megawatts from HCB while the refurbishment has benefited countries such as South Africa, which now receives an additional 250 megawatts.

A combination of obsolete equipment, foreign currency shortages and unavailability of coal has exacerbated Zimbabwe’s electricity crisis since the country started facing economic problems in 2000.

Persistent power cuts have contributed to the collapse of a once-buoyant manufacturing sector, which is estimated to have shrunk by 28 percent last year alone.

Source African Press Agency

Net News Publisher