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(TALKZIMBABWE) Zimbabwe, Botswana sign power deal

Zimbabwe, Botswana sign power deal
Floyd Nkomo
Tue, 13 Oct 2009 20:36:00 +0000

BOTSWANA will get electricity from Zimbabwe starting in June next year after the two countries concluded a power deal last week. The power deal by the two neighbouring Southern African countries will see the moribund Bulawayo Power station operating in June 2010.

Minister of Energy and Power Development, Engineer Elias Mudzuri and his Batswana counterpart Ponatshego Kedikilwe met last week in Botswana's second capital, Francistown to sign the deal.

The ministers agreed to address transmission constraints in the Zimbabwe power grid to facilitate increased power transfers through the country. It was agreed at the meeting that short term measures be introduced to restore optimal generation capacity of Bulawayo power station by June 2010 and to enhance transmission capacity at the Zimbabwe power grid.

Botswana and Zimbabwe are scheduled to sign an Inter-Governmental Memorandum of Understanding by the end of next month. A communique at the end of the meeting said the ministers resolved to create an enabling environment to facilitate closer cooperation between the two countries in the power sector.

The ministers meeting on Friday resolved that the two countries should identify energy projects to be developed. Such projects include the extension of the Beira-Harare fuel pipeline to Botswana and developing renewable energy. The shift is meant to improve energy security and access to clean energy in the two countries.

The two countries have signed an agreement for a 70 megawatts rented power from Matsiloje as a way of addressing the power shortages. The two ministers' meeting was a follow up to their previous meetings in Mozambique in April.

There the ministers directed their two national power utilities to develop short term intervention measures to address the power supply and demand mismatch, which if not adequately addressed will stifle social and economic development in the sister countries.

Labels: BOTSWANA, ENERGY, ZIMBABWE

posted by MrK @ 3:40 AM