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Zesa
to increase power charges
NewsDay
November 29, 2013
https://www.newsday.co.zw/2013/11/29/zesa-increase-power-charges/
Electricity
users should brace for tough times as the national power utility
Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company (ZETDC)
plans to hike tariffs barely three months after it slashed debts
for domestic consumers and farmers.
The power company
yesterday announced that it had applied to the country’s energy
regulator Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority seeking to review
its tariffs next year in a bid to boost revenue and improve operational
efficiencies.
The development
is likely to further pile pressure on consumers already bearing
the brunt of an underperforming economy.
“The Zimbabwe
Electricity Transmission and Distribution Company has applied to
the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority for a review of the electricity
tariff applicable to its customers in 2014 in terms of the provisions
of section 53(1) of the Electricity Act (Chapter 13:19),”
reads part of the notice.
“This
application is seeking a review of the tariff to an average of 11,48c/KWh
from the current 9,86c/KWh. This adjustment has been applied using
the approved rate of return methodology. This tariff application
is based on a revenue requirement $986 362 044 for 2014.”
ZETDC said it
planned to raise additional funds to meet operational and maintenance
costs and hedge against increased cost of electricity purchases.
The electricity distribution company also hopes to improve service
delivery, power supply security, infrastructure maintenance and
availability and value for money.
Zimbabwe is
currently struggling to meet its energy requirements due to limited
investment in the capital-intensive sector. Authorities say power
shortages may ease in 2017 after government has completed several
power generation projects on the cards. As of yesterday morning,
local power generation stood at 1 104 megawatts (MW) against a peak
demand of 2 200MW.
According to
a power generation analysis report provided by Zimbabwe Power Company,
Unit 1 at Hwange Power Station was yesterday taken out of service
while Unit 5 was taken out a fortnight ago for planned major overhaul
works. The unit is expected back in service at the end of February.
Unit 6 was taken
out of service on Sunday to enable boiler tube leak repairs and
returned to service on Thursday. At Kariba Power Station, Unit 3
was also taken out a fortnight ago for remnant life assessment.
Alstom are mobilising to carry out the stator core repairs and re-tensioning
Unit 5 was taken out of service on Wednesday to enable the disconnection
of the unit transformer. The unit returned to service yesterday
on the station transformer. In September, Zesa credited all domestic
customers with a debt relief of $160 per household.
The collective
debt relief for farmers was estimated at $80 million while that
for ordinary consumers was $90 million.
The power authority
has a legacy of debts of close to half a billion dollars that includes
those debts taken over from Central African Power Company which
used to procure power for the nation.
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