Hwange rehab to start Q1 2026

STAFF WRITER

Zimbabwe’s largest coal-fired power plant, Hwange Thermal Power Station, will begin large-scale rehabilitation works in the first quarter (Q1) of 2026 following the sealing of a US$450 million concession agreement aimed at restoring the ageing plant’s original generating capacity.

Business Times can report that the refurbishment will focus on the station’s six oldest units — commissioned between 1983 and 1989 — and is expected to significantly boost power supply as the country grapples with rising electricity demand driven by economic growth.

ZESA Holdings acting group chief executive officer Engineer Cletus Nyachowe said the repowering programme was a strategic intervention to return Units 1 to 6 to their combined installed capacity of 920MW, while arresting persistent breakdowns caused by decades of wear and obsolete equipment.
Refurbishment, he said, remains the fastest and most cost-effective route to unlock about 500MW of additional power and prevent further deterioration of the plant.
The upgrade follows Cabinet’s approval of a 15-year rehabilitate, operate and transfer (ROT) concession agreement with Jindal Steel and Power, under which the Indian firm will inject US$450 million into the project.
The agreement dedicates the first four years specifically to rehabilitating Hwange Units 1 to 6, a process expected to add about 400MW to the national grid within 48 months.
Engineer Nyachowe described the deal as a defining milestone for the ZESA Group in 2025.
“A major highlight this year has been the partnership with Jindal Steel and Power. The signing of the US$450 million concession agreement this December after a year-long negotiation marks a pivotal moment for the ZESA Group in general and the Zimbabwe Power Company in particular,” he said.
The rehabilitation will involve replacing critical components, including boilers, turbines and generators, which have severely limited output at the coal-fired plant.
Although the six units have a combined installed capacity of 920MW, they have in recent years been producing between 300MW and 500MW due to age-related mechanical failures. Once refurbished, the units are expected to operate at full capacity, lifting total output at Hwange Power Station to about 1 500MW when combined with the two recently commissioned 300MW Units 7 and 8.
Engineer Nyachowe said a joint oversight committee would be established to monitor the disbursement and utilisation of the US$450 million, ensuring all funds are channelled through standard banking systems into Zimbabwe.