Projects
in motion
The Intensive Energy Solar Power Plant Development Program
It is clear that the only way Zimbabwe can cover its shortfall in electrical power in the short term is by using solar power generation. Solar power panels have declined in cost to about 14 cents per watt or about US$70 each and at the same time they have become much more efficient and productive.
The problem remains that they only generate power for about 6 hours on an average sunshine day and are unstable. These problems can only be addressed by sourcing balancing power from some source or using battery storage. While this technology is constantly improving, it is still the costliest part of any solar installation.
In the household sector, a quiet revolution is underway with tens of thousands of small solar installations on roofs linked to small Lithium batteries to hold electrical energy when the panels are not operating. Such installations have reduced in cost very dramatically but still cost about US$5000. This development is now spreading to industry and mining with balancing power being provided from other sources.
IEUG is working with ZESA Holdings Limited on a national program to generate as much solar energy as we can balance using our baseload plants using fossil fuels and hydro electricity plants. We have more applications than we can accept but are developing a list of projects that can meet our requirements. Applications to be considered for this program should be addressed to the IEUG at its address in the Website.
Those projects we accept will be supported with a Power Purchase Agreement for the life of project in US dollars at a negotiated tariff. It may also be possible to underwrite the loans required to bring the proposed plant into operation.
Zimbabwe mining industry prospects
Zimbabwe is reported to have the highest ration of resources to population in the world. How the boffins come to this conclusion is not difficult to see if you are a student of Geology. Zimbabwe has an abundance of natural resources which can be mined and sold internationally. The main ones are gold, the platinum group of minerals and metals, coal, lithium, nickel, iron ore and chrome. In some cases, the proportion of global resources available and found in this country is in excess of 20 per cent.
In the past 5 years the growth in the mining sector has been phenomenal with mining-based export earnings increasing fivefold. This is now putting great pressure on the country’s infrastructure of rail and road capacity as well as electrical energy. The Intensive Energy User Group was formed by the industry in response to this challenge and the request by the National Utility for help in meeting the growing demand.
Demand for power has risen by 30 per cent in the past year and we are projecting national demand to reach 10 000 megawatts by 2030, four times current demand. The IEUG buys power from regional power plants and supplies this to Member Companies without interruption. In the Mining industry this is critical to maintain safe and productive conditions underground and to process the products brought to the surface.
Mphanda Nkuwa Dam and power station
The lower Zambezi in Mozambique has the combined flows of several major rivers in the region. For this reason, the hydrology supporting power production is much better than in the river flowing through Zimbabwe and Zambia. Four projects are planned on this section of the river to take advantage of the power potential, the first is the Mphanda Nkuwa dam, 62km below the Cahora Bassa dam. This project is budgeted to cost $4.5 billion including transmission to regional states and the first phase to produce 1500 MW of power, which could be increased to 2400 MW.
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THE REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM by the private sector TO GENERATE AND TRANSMIT ELECTRICAL ENERGY.
