By Oliver Kazunga
The Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) intends to recruit more than 100 workers on a fixed term contract of up to 36 months for the Hwange Thermal Power Station expansion project.
In March this year, President Emmerson Mnangagwa officiated at the groundbreaking ceremony for the $1,5 billion Unit 7 and 8 expansion project expected to produce an additional 600 megawatts.
The two units will each generate 300MW of electricity to be fed into the national grid while raising Hwange Power Station’s installed capacity to 1 520MW from the current 920MW.
“The company is now on the execution stage of the 600MW Hwange Power Station expansion project.
We are therefore inviting suitably qualified and motivated persons for the various vacant positions of the project that have arisen on a fixed term contract basis of up to 36 months,” said ZPC.
The power company indicated that from the 27 positions that have been created, the project requires engineers in areas such as mechanical, electrical, control and instrumentation, quality and risk as well as other administrative jobs that include logistics.
In the past 10 years, the project could not take-off due to funding constraints after Zimbabwe was frozen out of the international community as punishment for redistributing the land.
Progress only started showing after President Mnangagwa’s State visit to China in April this year during which Chinese President Xi Jinping authorised financing of the power project.
The two countries further deepened their bilateral ties by upgrading them to comprehensive, strategic partnership and co-operation, which broadens the scope of engagement and funding of projects across all economic sectors.
The expansion project has started spending the $200 million first drawdown.
It is hoped that after the completion of the expansion project, there will be massive socio-economic transformation through increased supply of energy to the mining, agricultural and manufacturing sectors.
The expansion project is expected to create more than 7 000 jobs directly and indirectly.
The project will be undertaken by Sino Hydro of China and will take 42 weeks to complete.
The Hwange power project is being implemented in line with international best practices in environmental management.
The plant will have a flue gas clearing facility to treat emissions and will use 12 000 tonnes of limestone per month in its operations.
President Mnangagwa has said the Hwange power project was the first project to be implemented under a Public-Private-Partnership arrangement and is a confirmation of Zimbabwe’s desire to increase energy and power supply.
The country has installed capacity to generate 2 245MW but due to a host of challenges, about 1 600MW was achievable.
National electricity demand is about 1 600MW while power generation averages 1 200MW per day.
This leaves a deficit of about 400MW, which is met through imports from Mozambique and South Africa. The Chronicle
