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The Minister of Energy and Power Development, Edgar Moyo has revealed that Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority (ZESA) Holdings has taken a giant step to decommission three small thermal power stations which they deemed too costly to run.
In a statement, the Minister said the bold move was part of steps to adopt financially sustainable energy sources.
The Minister added that running each of the three thermal power stations was now outsmarting the value of the power produced and it was no longer viable.
“The thermal power plants with a combined capacity of 240 megawatts (MW) ceased generating electricity between July and September 2023.
“The running cost of Bulawayo station, for example, had ballooned to roughly 46 US cents per kilowatt-hour, making its continued operation unviable.”
He added that the power stations had outlived their life span of 25 years hence the need to take them out of service permanently.
“At an average age of 75 years, the thermal plants significantly exceed their intended lifespan of 25 years, and operating them has become financially unsustainable.”
Moyo acknowledged that while decommissioning is necessary the government was exploring alternative uses for the facilities.
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