IPPs prove their worth

09 Jul, 2021 - 01:07 0 Views
IPPs prove their worth

The ManicaPost

 

IN his speech during the commissioning of the Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority Holdings’ operational vehicles and transformers in Harare last week, President Emmerson Mnangagwa made it clear that the energy sector is crucial in opening up the economy.

He underscored that the liberalisation of the energy and power generation space has resulted in an increase in the number of power generation projects through various Independent Power Producers.

The President challenged each province to take interest in the energy sector, leveraging on their respective comparative advantages.

Manicaland has already taken heed of these calls.

The Nyangani Renewable Energy (NRE) in Honde Valley, as well as Tingamira and Greenfuel in Chipinge are championing a development agenda as they work towards ensuring a consistent and reliable supply of energy.

Such a scenario is critical in accelerating the realisation of tangible deliveries as envisioned under devolution.

Manicaland has the potential to produce more than enough of its electricity demands through IPPs, as illustrated in a story carried elsewhere in this publication.

The story places into context the importance of IPPs.

Apart from power generation, jobs have been created through the installation and maintenance of the IPPs.

It is now incumbent upon the Government to walk the talk and ensure that there is ease of doing business in the energy sector. This will attract investors, which will allow Zimbabwe to become energy self-sufficient.

Corruption in the energy sector has to be dealt with conclusively for the nation to fully benefit from IPPs.

The God-given natural resources in the Eastern Highlands, epitomised by the undulating terrain and water flow must be fully exploited in order to get the most out of our resources.

While Honde Valley has hardly experienced load shedding for quite some time, measures now need to be put in place to transform the marginalized community into an industrial hub.

Industrial operations are often affected by the availability of energy, but Honde Valley, through the operations of IPPs, has access to uninterrupted power supply.

Given the abundance of raw materials readily available from the agricultural produce in Honde Valley, it makes business sense for more manufacturing companies to open production factories in the area.

The socio-economic development that comes with IPPs can never be overemphasised.

For example, NRE has electrified 73 primary and secondary schools in Honde Valley, from Chavhanga to Jombe. Staff houses at some of the selected schools have also been electrified.

Through the IPPs’ corporate social responsibility drive, rural health centres have also been electrified while roads have been opened in villages that had not known decent pathways for years.

If this is not development, then nothing is!

 

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