ZESA Reports 599MW For Kariba, Later "Corrects" Electricity Generation Figures To 185MW
The Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) initially reported on Thursday, January 2, 2025, that the Kariba South Power Station was generating 599MW.
However, about three hours later, the power utility revised the figure, stating that the station’s generation was actually 185MW.
ZPC, a subsidiary of ZESA Holdings, had earlier on Tuesday provided an energy generation update, claiming Kariba was producing 599MW, Hwange Thermal Power Station was generating 700MW, and Independent Power Producers (IPPs) were contributing 54MW, for a total of 1,353MW.
After the revision, the output from Hwange and IPPs remained the same, but Kariba’s generation was significantly lowered to 185MW. The utility did not provide an explanation for the sudden change in Kariba’s output.
The initial claim of 599MW from Kariba raised questions, particularly after a report from the Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) on Monday, December 30, 2024.
ZRA, responsible for managing the water levels in the Kariba Dam, warned that the lake’s water levels had continued to drop, despite minor fluctuations due to rainfall.
On that day, the Usable Live Storage (for power generation) was only 2%, down from 11.83% on the same date in 2023.
Given the current water scarcity, it seems unlikely that Kariba could be generating 599MW, especially after months of low output due to insufficient water for power generation.
More: Pindula News
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