Outside view of Kariba South Bank Hydropower Station Expansion Project Photo by CEC
Nyabira solar photovoltaic power station successfully connected to the grid for power generation, Kariba South Bank hydropower station expansion project is known as the "hematopoietic project", the rapid deployment of small low-light voltage stations light up one remote village after another in Zimbabwe... In recent years, Chinese companies have joined hands with local partners to actively participate in the construction of Zimbabwe's energy infrastructure and contribute to Zimbabwe's sustainable development.
Edgar Moyo, Minister of Energy and Power Development of Zimbabwe, said that China's experience in the field of energy and power is worth learning from. He thanked the Chinese government and enterprises for their support to Zimbabwe's development and welcomed more Chinese enterprises to invest in Zimbabwe's energy and power sector.
Photovoltaic power station put into operation, breaking the bottleneck of power generation
In the Nyabira solar photovoltaic power station located on the outskirts of Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe, hundreds of photovoltaic panels move day by day to maximize the absorption of sunlight to energy storage.
September 27, China Power Construction Group (hereinafter referred to as "Power China") under the hydropower 11 bureau of Nyabira 23 MW phase II project successfully connected to the grid, marking Zimbabwe's current largest tracking photovoltaic power station officially put into operation. Together with the 2 MW phase I project, which was completed and put into commercial use in August 2019, the photovoltaic power station will effectively guarantee the electricity demand of about 75,000 households.
Zimbabwe is located in southeast Africa, the annual sunshine duration of more than 3,000 hours, suitable for the development of photovoltaic power generation. According to estimates by the Zimbabwe Energy Authority, the potential of solar photovoltaic power generation in the country is about 109 GW, but limited by capital, technology, etc., Zimbabwe's total photovoltaic installed capacity is relatively limited, and photovoltaic power generation accounts for a relatively low proportion of national energy supply.
At the peak of the construction of Nyabira solar photovoltaic power station, a total of about 500 Zimbabwean local employees were employed, many of whom have become business backbone. "This is the first commercial photovoltaic power plant in our country, and I am proud to work here." Kriva, 27, is an electrical engineer on the Nyabira solar PV project, where his job is to monitor equipment and keep data. "I learned a lot of professional skills from my Chinese colleagues and improved my working ability. We had a great time working together!" Criva said.
Duan Tao, country representative of Power China Construction in Zimbabwe, introduced that in order to actively respond to the new needs of energy and power development in Zimbabwe, Power China Construction has signed five local photovoltaic projects, with a total installed capacity of 180 MW, providing feasible solutions for Zimbabwe's energy structure adjustment and ensuring energy security.
The Herald of Zimbabwe reported under the title "The key to energy transition" : "Photovoltaic power generation is becoming an important supplement to make up for the shortage of hydropower in Zimbabwe." The Nyabira solar photovoltaic power plant project is a landmark project in Zimbabwe's energy transformation, setting a benchmark for more photovoltaic projects and injecting new impetus into Zimbabwe's power development."
Expand hydropower units to improve self-sufficiency
Lake Kariba is one of the largest artificial lakes in Africa, located between Zambia and Zimbabwe, formed by the dam blocking the Zambezi River in the Kariba Canyon, the lake's maximum water storage capacity of 185 billion cubic meters, hydropower generation conditions are excellent. As early as the 1950s and 1960s, the south bank unit of the Kariba Hydropower Station with a total installed capacity of 750 MW was built. This installed capacity has experienced several expansions, but due to serious aging of the equipment, the actual power generation capacity is less than 700 MW.
In 2018, after the completion of the Kariba South Bank Hydropower Station expansion project undertaken by Power China Construction, the original installed capacity of the hydropower station was increased by 300 megawatts, significantly narrowing Zimbabwe's power gap. Since the operation, the power generation efficiency of the expansion unit is far better than the design target, and the cumulative power generation of 3.71 billion KWH has created 480 million US dollars for the local economic benefits.
With the help of Chinese enterprises, the Kariba South Hydropower Station has gained new vitality, not only contributing to the safe supply of electricity in Zimbabwe, but also driving the development of the surrounding areas in an all-round way as the largest water conservancy project since Zimbabwe's independence.
Samuel Ndange, former minister of Energy and Power Development of Zimbabwe, praised the project: "Chinese enterprises have helped expand the capacity of hydropower plants, benefiting Zimbabweans, as well as the vast areas of urban and rural areas."
The social effects of the expansion project are equally significant. The project has created more than 3,000 jobs in Zimbabwe and trained hundreds of technicians. Power China Construction also donated a local primary school, which was praised by the local government and the public.
Bimha, who was the head of safety for the Kariba South Bank expansion project, said: "The Kariba South Bank expansion project has given me valuable working experience and given me more confidence to work well in the clean energy industry. My career is going from strength to strength, and my life is going from strength to strength."
Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa said the Kariba South Bank hydropower plant expansion project has greatly improved Zimbabwe's self-sufficiency in electricity. "On behalf of the Zimbabwean government, I would like to express our gratitude to China, whose support and help has been of great significance to Zimbabwe. The delivery of the project means Zimbabwe will save a significant amount of money on electricity imports for infrastructure and domestic development. This is a real blood-making project that will benefit the people of Zimbabwe for a long time to come!" Mnangagwa said.
A tiny glimmer of light underlies the station and lights up the remote countryside
After a series of renovation and upgrading, the situation of power rationing in most areas of Zimbabwe has been significantly reduced, but remote mountain villages not covered by the power grid are still in a state of power shortage. In 2022, PowerChina signed a contract with Zimbabwe's micro-grid solar photovoltaic project, which mainly includes the design, procurement, installation and commissioning technical guidance of 33 low-light voltage stations. Currently, 27 sites are in operation.
Each micro-volt station covers an area of only about 100 square meters, but it is enough to light up the entire community. These low-light volt stations have allowed many remote villages in Zimbabwe to bid farewell to diesel generators and use environmentally friendly and efficient solar energy, which has been warmly welcomed by the public.
Project owner, Zimbabwe Rural Electrification Fund technical director Tyrante said that with the small light volt site has been put into operation, more rural Zimbabweans have access to clean energy, effectively alleviating the local power shortage problem. It is hoped that more partners will join the ranks of the development of low-light volt sites to jointly promote sustainable development and green transformation in Zimbabwe.
The low-light voltage station has met the electricity needs of local people, and has also cultivated a group of equipment installation experts. "A cabinet sized photovoltaic cell can store more than 500 kilowatt-hours of electricity, enough to run several nearby villages for three days. The photovoltaic site has no noise, energy saving and environmental protection, and the connection is simple, easy maintenance, and the energy storage system is more durable, which is an advanced equipment that we have never touched." Lewis, a Zimbabwean employee of the project, said that during the installation process of the project, he and many colleagues learned new knowledge and new technologies, and were able to independently carry out installation and maintenance work, and had a skill.
"When you give a man fish, you also give him fish." It's a real win-win." Ruston Mukalo, Zimbabwean Director of the Confucius Institute at the University of Zimbabwe, said that China has carried out long-term cooperation with African countries in energy, infrastructure, agriculture, manufacturing and other fields, driving and cultivating a large number of talents and making positive contributions to the independent development of African countries.
Chedondo, Zimbabwe's Ambassador to China, said, "More and more Zimbabwean students are coming to China for further study, and more and more Chinese companies are investing in Zimbabwe. The high-quality construction of the Belt and Road has promoted exchanges and cooperation between Zimbabwe and China in all fields and at all levels, and closely linked the two peoples, "he said.
