By Virginia Njovo
For the third time, Lake Mutirikwi mini hydropower station, initially slated for completion in September, missed yet another deadline, with officials now reporting a 98percent completion and giving end of October as the new deadline.
A pattern of delays continue to plague the power station, with the project missing its third deadline, initially set for end-of-July completion, then August, and it’s not clear if they will manage to meet the October deadline.
Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Dr Addmore Pazvakavambwa told TellZim News that the power plant was at 98 percent complete and final touches were being done for it to be commissioned, after construction started in March 2022.
“The 5 MW power plant is now at 98 percent completion, final touches are being done at the site so that it can be commissioned and start to benefit the nation and Masvingo Province at large,” said Dr Pazvakavambwa.
Project coordinator Hubert Chifumbu concurred with Dr Pazvakavambwa and said they were expecting to finish the project by the end of October 2024 as there were some technical issues which are being rectified at the site.
“We are currently doing final touches, we are now doing dry commissioning, wet commissioning and after the process the station will now join the national grid and we expect to be done by the end of October 2024,” said Chifumbu.
In August 2024 Chifumbu indicated that the progress was delayed due to the downstream requirements which were supposed to be met and they expected to commission the plant in September.
The 5MW Lake Mutirikwi Hydro power station is expected to generate power to be fed in the national grid as a way to reduce the on-going power cuts.
Regardless of the fact that Masvingo Province has over 10 000 dams which translates to 60 percent of inland water bodies in the country, the province is among the affected areas by the on-going power cuts which are said to be caused by the decreasing of Kariba Dam Water levels.
