Zimbabwe is bracing for intensified power cuts after ZESA Holdings announced that Hwange Power Station’s Unit 8 will be offline for 10 days due to a technical fault. This shutdown exacerbates the country’s already precarious electricity supply situation, particularly as Unit 3 has been out of service for maintenance since September 10, with completion expected by October 24.
As of October 21, the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) was generating only 1,296 megawatts (MW), significantly below the peak demand of approximately 2,000 MW. In a statement, ZESA confirmed that Unit 8 would remain off the grid for restoration work, while Unit 7 continues operating at 335 MW to help stabilize the system.
To address the temporary shortfall, ZESA has increased power generation at Kariba South Power Station, managing water allocations carefully. The utility expressed its apologies for the inconvenience caused by the outages, which are expected to worsen during the 10-day shutdown period. Urban areas in Zimbabwe are already facing up to 20 hours of load-shedding daily, making the situation increasingly dire for residents.