Zimbabwe is set to add 400 megawatts to its electricity grid under a $455 million upgrade of the Hwange thermal power plant, a move expected to ease chronic power shortages across the country.
The state owned power utility ZESA has signed a 15 year concession agreement with the Africa focused unit of India’s Jindal Steel to refurbish ageing units at the coal fired plant. The deal was approved by cabinet in September and finalised in December, according to ZESA acting chief executive Cletus Nyachowe.
Under the agreement, rehabilitation work is scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2026, with the additional capacity expected to come online within the next 48 months.
Zimbabwe currently produces only about half of its estimated 2,000 megawatt electricity demand, resulting in prolonged power cuts that have disrupted households and industry.
Hwange, the country’s largest power station with an installed capacity of 1,520 megawatts, was partially upgraded in 2023 when two new units added 600 megawatts to the grid. However, several older units built in the 1980s are operating at roughly a third of their capacity due to frequent breakdowns.
The Kariba hydropower station, which was constructed in the 1960s, underwent a 300 megawatt upgrade in 2018, raising its capacity to 1,050 megawatts. In recent years, however, output has declined as climate change driven droughts have reduced water levels at the dam.