- ZESA will take Hwange Unit 3 offline for 44 days (September 10 to October 24, 2025) for statutory maintenance, reducing power output by 80MW
- ZPC’s current 1,400MW output, though improved, falls 600MW short of the 2,000MW peak demand
- ZESA secured a US$210 million Afreximbank facility to upgrade infrastructure and support electricity imports
Harare- The Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) has announced that Hwange Unit 3, one of its older 80MW generators, will be taken offline for 44 days from September 10 to October 24, 2025, to undergo statutory maintenance.
According to a ZESA Holdings circular, this planned outage is essential to enhance the unit’s availability and reliability, ensuring long-term operational efficiency.
This maintenance will temporarily reduce the Zimbabwe Power Company’s (ZPC) electricity output by 80MW, impacting the national grid at a time when Zimbabwe is already grappling with power shortages.
Currently, ZPC generates an average of 1,400MW, a significant improvement over the previous year’s output.
Despite this progress, the country’s electricity production remains insufficient to meet peak demand, which is now above 2,000MW.
The loss of 80MW from Hwange Unit 3, though relatively small in the context of total output, could exacerbate existing challenges, potentially leading to increased load shedding or reliance on costly electricity imports.
The maintenance, while necessary for long-term reliability, reflects the fragility of Zimbabwe’s power infrastructure, where even planned outages can strain the system’s ability to meet demand.
In a strategic move to address these challenges, ZESA Holdings has secured a US$210 million facility from the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) to bolster its infrastructure network and support electricity imports.
The agreement, finalised on the sidelines of the Intra-African Trade Fair, represents a critical step toward improving Zimbabwe’s energy security.
The funding is expected to facilitate upgrades to aging infrastructure and enhance the utility’s capacity to import power, mitigating the impact of domestic generation shortfalls. This financial support is particularly timely, given the ongoing maintenance at Hwange Unit 3 and the persistent gap between supply and demand.
Analysis of the situation highlights both immediate and long-term implications. In the short term, the 44-day outage at Hwange Unit 3 may intensify pressure on Zimbabwe’s power grid, particularly during peak consumption periods.
However, the statutory maintenance is a proactive measure to prevent unexpected breakdowns, which could have more severe consequences.
The Afreximbank facility offers a lifeline, enabling ZESA to address structural deficiencies and reduce reliance on emergency measures like load shedding.
Looking ahead, sustained investment in generation capacity, alongside maintenance of existing infrastructure, will be crucial for Zimbabwe to close the 600MW gap between current output and peak demand.
The combination of short-term maintenance and long-term financial support reflects ZESA’s efforts to balance immediate operational needs with strategic improvements to the country’s power sector.
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