Harare power station
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Harare power station is an operating power station of at least 30-megawatts (MW) in Kopje, Harare, Zimbabwe with multiple units, some of which are not currently operating.
Location
Table 1: Project-level location details
| Plant name | Location | Coordinates (WGS 84) |
|---|---|---|
| Harare power station | Kopje, Harare, Zimbabwe | -17.845, 31.031667 (exact) |
The map below shows the exact location of the power station.
Unit-level coordinates (WGS 84):
- Unit 2, Unit 3: -17.845, 31.031667
Project Details
Table 2: Unit-level details
| Unit name | Status | Fuel(s) | Capacity (MW) | Technology | Start year | Retired year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unit 2 | permitted | coal - unknown | 60 | subcritical | 1955 | – |
| Unit 3 | operating | coal - unknown | 30 | subcritical | 1956 | – |
Table 3: Unit-level ownership and operator details
| Unit name | Owner |
|---|---|
| Unit 2 | ZESA Holdings Ltd [100.0%] |
| Unit 3 | ZESA Holdings Ltd [100.0%] |
Background
Power station 1 was commissioned in 1942 and had a capacity of 21MW, but was decommissioned in 1970. Station 2 had an initial capacity of 75MW when it was commissioned in 1955, but it was de-rated to 20MW due to uneconomical units. With a capacity of 60MW, Power Station 3 consists of pulverized fuel-fired boilers. The station also has two large turbo-alternator machines producing 30MW each. Station 3 was commissioned in 1956-57.[1]
In 2014, Jaguar Overseas of India was awarded the tender to repower the three operating units.[2] The Harare re-powering project would cost US$70.2 million with 85 percent of the cost funded by India’s Exim Bank.
As of January 2016, the project was planned to be completed in 2018, adding 90 MW to the national grid.[3] However, in May 2016, it was reported that the Export-Import Bank (Eximbank) of India had rejected the project's application for US$70.2 million in funding.[4]
As of February 2019, the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) was set to commence the re-powering project for Harare Power Station (generator number 2) in the first quarter of 2019 to add 60 MW to the national grid and cut imports. ZPC secured a US$176 million loan from Afreximbank. However, of the US$176 million secured, only US$52 million was earmarked for the Harare Power Station re-powering project. The project was estimated to require US$104 million total, with the construction contract with Jaguar Overseas of India costing US$70 million. The re-powering project was expected to take two years to complete, barring unforeseen challenges. The objective of the project was to revive Harare Power Station number two, which was decommissioned in 2014, with new technology adding two boilers to replace nine boilers.[5] It was unclear whether the repowering project in fact began as scheduled.
In May 2020, ZPC cancelled its construction contract with Jaguar Overseas of India. Observers suspected that the contract was cancelled because Jaguar Overseas had failed to secure financing for the repowering project. ZPC was reportedly already seeking fresh arrangements for the project.[6]
According to an October 2021 article, production at Harare Power Station plummeted to 13MW out of a maximum 100MW.[7]
In June 2022, the ZPC website stated that five out of nine boilers in Station 2 had been decommissioned. In Station 3, one of the two turbo-alternators was offline. The page claims that the "dependable capacity" of Stations 2 and 3 are 20 MW and 30 MW respectively.[8]
The initial permitted refurbishment of the plant involved plans to replace the nine Station 2 boilers with new technology, so it was unclear whether these plans were ongoing.[5] ZPC's "Power Column Q3 2022"[9] and "Power Column Q4 2022"[10] did not mention the refurbishment project.
An article from April 2023 reported that an estimated US$5 million was needed to rehabilitate the power station to a generating capacity of 30 MW. The acting managing director of the power station was quoted as saying their focus was "to repurpose small thermal stations so that investors can come in and take over the running of stations through some kind of agreement."[11] According to generation statistics posted by the Zimbabwe Power Company on May 19, 2023, Harare power station was generating 17 MW.[12]
Decommissioning
In November 2023, Zimbabwe's Cabinet approved the country's "roadmap to electricity self-sufficiency", which would involve restructuring of the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) and "decommissioning and re-purposing of small thermal power stations," including Harare power station and Bulawayo power station. The power stations had reportedly not been generating any electricity for at least a week.[13][14]
In February 2024, ZESA had reportedly begun decommissioning Harare power station and Bulawayo power station, citing the plants' old age and the growing costs of running coal-fired generators as reasons for closing the plants.[15]
Financing
Proposed in 2019: US$176 million loan from Afreximbank, but only $52 million earmarked for the re-powering project[5]
Articles and Resources
References
- ↑ "Harare Power Station," Zimbabwe Power Company, accessed September 2016
- ↑ "Indian firm to refurbish Munyati Power Station," The Financial Gazette, February 4, 2016
- ↑ Patience Rusare, "‘Zim to export electricity by 2018’," The Patriot, January 21, 2016
- ↑ Phillimon Mhlanga, "Power deal faces collapse," The Financial Gazette, May 12, 2016
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "ZPC to start Harare re-powering project," The Herald, February 15, 2019
- ↑ "Zesa Cancels US$ 217m Deal with Indian Firm," Business Weekly, May 22, 2020
- ↑ "Zesa in dire straits…Zim thermal power stations have gone beyond lifespan, says GataA," The Zimbabwe Independent, October 29, 2021
- ↑ "Harare Power Station," Zimbabwe Power Company, 2022
- ↑ "POWER COLUMN Q3 2022," Zimbabwe Power Company, November 11, 2022
- ↑ "POWER COLUMN Q4 2022," Zimbabwe Power Company, February 2, 2023
- ↑ "US$5m required to resuscitate Harare Power Station," NewsDay, April 25, 2023
- ↑ Zimbabwe Power Company website, accessed May 19, 2023
- ↑ "Cabinet adopts electricity self-sufficiency roadmap," The Herald, November 8, 2023
- ↑ "This African Nation Aspires to Energy Self-Sufficiency," Sputnik News, November 8, 2023
- ↑ "Zesa decommissions three thermal stations," The Herald, February 23, 2024
Additional data
To access additional data, including an interactive map of coal-fired power stations, a downloadable dataset, and summary data, please visit the Global Coal Plant Tracker on the Global Energy Monitor website.
