The government of Zimbabwe is set begin construction of 2,800 MW thermal power station in Sengwa, Gokwe North. The project will entail an investment of USD 1.5 billion.
The developer of the project RioZim will move to the next phase of preliminary works, which entail, chiefly, signing a power purchase agreement (PPA). The thermal power station project has been in the pipeline for years since the early 1990s. RioZim signed framework and exclusivity agreements with Power China in November 2018.
The company has completed a full design and feasibility of the power station, route and design of the water supply pipeline from the Zambezi river, design of 420 kV power evacuation lines from Sengwa to Selous and coal mining plan and fuel coal delivery to station.
Phase-I of the Sengwa thermal project involves construction of two 350 MW coal-fired power and 400 km power line. As of now, the contractor is on-site conducting initial evaluations which precede financial closure. Power China, the sister company of Sinohydro, is currently preparing the bill of quantities on the pipeline and power lines.
The bill is a requirement by the financiers in order to know the cost of water pipeline from Kariba to Sengwa and the cost of evacuation lines from Sengwa to Sherwood. Upon completion, Sengwa thermal power project will be among Zimbabwe’s two biggest power plants after the 2,400 MW Batoka project.
The 2,000 MW power expected to be produced will be fed from RioZim’s coal claims in Senegwa Coal Deposit with proven ore reserves in excess of 525 million tonne.