- Zimbabwe experienced a 45% increase in electricity imports, totalling 611.1 GWh in Q3 2024, up from 422.1 GWh in Q3 2023
- Manufacturing, transport, and construction sectors accounted for 34.7% of electricity consumption, while mining and domestic users consumed 18.1% and 21.1%, respectively
- Half of the imported electricity comes from South Africa's Eskom, with additional supplies from Mozambique's Hidroeléctrica de Cahora Bassa (19%) and Electricity de Mozambique (18%)
Harare-The Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency (Zimstat) has revealed a significant 45% uptick in electricity imports, with the country bringing in 611.1 gigawatt-hours (GWh) during the third quarter of 2024 from 422.1 in the comparative period in 2023.
In the third quarter for 2024 report, Zimstat noted that the Index of Electricity Generation (IEG) increased to 105.8, a 4.2% rise from 101.5 in the second quarter.
This index tracks changes in electricity generation over time, providing a snapshot of the energy sector’s performance.
Zimbabwe power producing plants, Hwange Thermal Power Station and Kariba Hydro-Electricity Power Station have an installed capacity of 1520 MW and 1050MW respectively.
However water levels for power generation at Lake Kariba has depleted below 4% resulting in an average of less than 300 MW per day while Hwange power production is being affected by ageing power plants and technical faults.
This gives a total of around 1200 MW per day against a peek demand of almost 2000 MW leaving a deficit of around 800 MW.
As a result, Zimbabwe's dependency on imports remains high.
According to Zimstat, half of the imported electricity comes from Eskom in South Africa, with additional supplies from Mozambique’s Hidroeléctrica de Cahora Bassa (19%) and Electricity de Mozambique (18%).
Manufacturing, transport, and construction sectors consumed 34.7% of the distributed electricity, while mining and domestic users accounted for 18.1% and 21.1%, respectively.
In response, the government is pushing for investments in renewable energy, particularly solar.
Finance Minister Professor Mthuli Ncube, while presenting the 2025 National Budget, emphasized the government’s dedication to supporting renewable energy initiatives and facilitating financial agreements for IPPs.
Large electricity consumers are being encouraged to invest in their own energy generation to mitigate reliance on the grid.
Energy developer Tatanga Energy has signed a 30MW power purchase agreement with Greenco. Tatanga is licensed to develop an initial 50MW solar plant at Sable Chemicals, Kwekwe.
Old Mutual life launched a US$100 million private equity fund targeting renewable energy investments insurance .
The National Renewable Energy Policy aims to add 2,100 MW of renewable energy by 2030, focusing primarily on solar and hydro projects.
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