Zimbabwe: News

Zimbabwe announced that it will construct its first utility-scale geothermal energy Independent Power Producer and support the reduction of greenhouse Gas emissions in the country, of which the energy sector is the highest contributor. The initiative emanates from the Green Resilient Recovery Rapid Readiness (GRRRR) and Geothermal Energy Development Project in Zimbabwe, which was identified as a key area of intervention after the investment plan and the GRRRR support for Zimbabwe were approved under the Green Climate Fund, according to Diana Tapedzanyika, project coordinator, Climate Finance Department at FBC Holdings Limited. Zimbabwe’s total energy generation in 2021 comprised of 29 per cent from non-renewable sources and 71 per cent from renewable sources, with hydropower (at 69 per cent of total energy generation) comprising the largest share, according to the Climate Change Management Department (CCMD) under the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Wildlife. The department said, however, that increased drought frequency, rainfall unpredictability and reduced water levels exacerbated by climate change have severely impacted hydropower levels, causing intensive load shedding, increased reliance on fossil fuels, fuelwood and electricity imports to make up for the deficit. They added that the objective of the Geothermal Energy Development Project is to increase access to clean and reliable energy. According to CCMD, there is currently no operational geothermal IPP project in the country and the plant will complement and integrate with other existing energy systems. They added that there are currently four existing Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority power stations, the Kariba South Hydroelectric Power Station and the coal-fired Harare, Bulawayo and Munyati thermal power stations.