ZimFund $23 M power project ready to roll with delivery of new transformer
Zimbabwe: The delivery of a 175 MVA transformer has signalled the completion of the Emergency Power Infrastructure Rehabilitation Project funded by ZimFund.
Image source: African Development Bank Group
Zimbabwe: The delivery of a 175 MVA transformer has signalled the completion of the Emergency Power Infrastructure Rehabilitation Project funded by ZimFund.
The transformer has been delivered to the Sherwood Substation in Kwekwe Midlands Province, about 200 km to the west of Harare. Phase II of the ZimFund Emergency Power Infrastructure Rehabilitation Project (EPIRP II) was funded to the tune of $22.74 M by ZimFund, in which the African Development Bank Group is a major partner.
Customers fed by the Sherwood substation, are spread over Midlands, Mashonaland East and West and Masvingo Provinces, serving over 1.2 million people. The substation is currently equipped with three 90 MVA, 330/88/11 kV transformers, giving a total substation installed capacity of 270 MVA against a substation demand of 350 MVA.
The new transformer will replace the old equipment, which is beyond repair, causing numerous power interruptions that have impacted negatively on households, industry, human capital institutions, and essential basic service delivery.
WSP Power Managing Director, Dinesh Buldoo representing the government of Zimbabwe stated that the delivery of the transformer was “a key milestone since it is the largest key equipment included in the project scope”.
“The project faced delays exacerbated by the COVID 19 pandemic impact especially on the production and shipping lines. We would like to thank Zimbabwe Electricity Distribution Company’s (ZETDC) and the people of Zimbabwe for their patience throughout this project,” he said.
The African Development Bank-managed EPIRP Phase II was designed to improve the availability of electricity supply through rehabilitation of generation, transmission and distribution facilities. The project target areas were Kwekwe, Gweru, Bulawayo, Mutare, Harare and Hwange, with a combined target population of 5 million people.
ZimFund has been one of the most instrumental programmes in the country in terms of restoring Zimbabwe’s critical infrastructure for power, water supply and sanitation especially in the targeted areas.
Under its energy sector, the African Development Bank is also financing other infrastructure projects in Zimbabwe such as the Kariba Dam Rehabilitation, Alaska-Karoi Transmission Line and Energy Sector Reform Support projects with a total investment of $90.5 M.
Source: African Bank Development Group
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