Story by Owen Mandovha
ZIMBABWE is set to witness the landmark connection of the Hwange Unit 7 power station to the national grid this month, the first major power generation project carried out by the second republic.
The much-anticipated connection of the Hwange Unit 7 power station to the national grid is in its final lap as meticulous tests are being carried out to synchronise the power station to the national grid.
While the Government has set sights on the connection of Unit 7 to the national grid by the end of this month, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Energy and Power Development, Engineer Gloria Magombo told Zbc news that connecting and synchronising a power station of that magnitude is indeed a mammoth task in which satisfactory tests should be conducted before the plant goes online.
“We are talking of aligning the entire plant to the national grid and that involves hundreds of engineers who are working day in and day out to make sure that all systems are in place.
“Our target is to commission the plant by the end of this month but this cannot be rushed because we have to ensure that the plant is fully synchronised,” she said.
Engineer Magombo added that plans by the first republic to construct new power stations were in place for decades but were never implemented.
She said it was the direct intervention by President Emmerson Mnangagwa at the inception of the Second Republic that ensured the construction of new power stations.
The coming on board of Hwange Unit 7 will add 300 megawatts to the national grid.
