HARARE – Power utility ZESA has warned of imminent power cuts after receding water levels at Lake Kariba forced a reduction in electricity generation.
ZESA says the Kariba Power Station is being restricted by the Zambezi River Authority which has reduced water allocation from 19 cubic meters to 16 billion cubic meters for the rest of the year after low water inflows.
“To this end, electricity generation at the Kariba Power Station will thus be reduced to an average of 358 megawatts from the planned average of 542 megawatts as a direct result of this water allocation reduction and this has led to a power supply gap,” ZESA said in a statement on Wednesday.
Hwange Power Station and smaller thermal power stations in Bulawayo, Harare and Munyati cannot increase their output because “they remain fragile due to old age.”
Urging Zimbabweans to reduce their power demand during the morning (5AM-10AM) and evening (5PM-10PM) peak periods, ZESA warned that “in the event that this equilibrium is not maintained, the power utility would have no choice but to curtail some loads to restore grid stability.”
“Every effort is being directed to improve the generation capacity to ensure that supply disruptions are kept at a minimum,” ZESA said.
