ZESA scrambles to restore power amid dual infrastructure blow
SAMANTHA MADE
Power utility, ZESA Holdings, is racing against time to restore electricity generation at the country’s largest coal -fired power plant, Hwange Power Station, after five units were knocked offline by boiler tube failures blamed on acidic water contamination — a fresh blow to the country’s already fragile energy grid.
ZESA said it now it expects all five affected units at Hwange Power Station to be fully operational by tomorrow.
The repair efforts follow an intensive recovery process triggered by significant leaks that disrupted generation and caused widespread blackouts for residential and industrial consumers alike.
“The acidic water has caused fractures to boiler tubes on the units. Significant tube leaks were identified on Units 1 and 2 while Units 3, 4 and 6, which were also online on the day, are being assessed. Repairs are now in progress on Units 1 and 2,” the utility said.
The company added that work on the first unit was nearing completion and that it is expected to return to service by midnight.
“All five affected units are projected to be fully operational by the end of day on Friday, 9 May 2025,” ZESA said, expressing confidence in its technical teams and ongoing maintenance efforts.
The incident has once again highlighted the vulnerability of Zimbabwe’s aging energy infrastructure. The damage significantly reduced generation capacity at a time when the national grid is already under pressure.
ZESA said subsequent investigations had identified the water treatment plant as the root of the contamination that fractured the boiler tubes.
“Subsequent investigations have identified the water treatment plant as the source of the contamination. Immediate corrective actions were taken, including isolation of the treatment plant and flushing out of all affected systems. The water supply has since been stabilized and is now adequate for plant operations,” the utility said.
While the Hwange failure triggered generation losses, ZESA is also contending with another crisis — a fire at its Highfield substation that caused extensive damage to key electrical infrastructure. The blaze destroyed a 20MVA 33/11kV transformer (T1), a 33kV T1 circuit breaker (CB 37), three 33kV current transformers, and vital control cables.
To contain the fallout, ZESA has implemented load reconfiguration measures to reroute power.
“Workington [is being] backfed from Kambuzuma and Willowvale [is being] backfed from Parkridge via Glen View and a transformer will be removed from Hatgates and installed at Highfield,” the company said.
Amid the twin challenges, the utility has scored a small victory with the restoration of the Beatrice substation, which has brought power back to Old Adbernnie, Waterfalls, Mbare, and parts of Southerton.
However, multiple areas — including Varun Beverages, New Adbernnie, parts of Willowvale Industrial, Highfield residential, and Glen Norah — remain in the dark as restoration efforts continue.
