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Zimbabwe Utility Seeks Solar Power to Keep the Lights On

Zimbabwe Utility Seeks Solar Power to Keep the Lights On

(Bloomberg) --

Zesa Holdings Ltd., the utility that’s subjecting Zimbabweans to 18-hour power cuts, is going off the grid.

The electricity producer is inviting bids for a roof-top solar power installation at its head office in the capital, Harare, to ensure that its staff enjoy uninterrupted power.

The bids open today and will close on Dec. 19, according to a Government Gazette published Nov. 22. Solar panels may also be installed at Zesa’s provincial offices, said Fullard Gwasira, Zesa’s spokesman.

Zimbabwe Utility Seeks Solar Power to Keep the Lights On

The southern African nation has been hit by crippling power cuts as a drought has drained the reservoir at its biggest plant, the Kariba South hydropower station, and a coal-fired generator at Hwange keeps breaking down. Zimbabwe is also struggling to pay for imports from South Africa and Mozambique.

The two power plants on Friday were producing a combined 523 megawatts of electricity, according to the Zimbabwe Power Company, the electricity distribution arm of the utility. That’s a fraction of the country’s demand.

To contact the reporter on this story: Ray Ndlovu in Johannesburg at rndlovu1@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Gordon Bell at gbell16@bloomberg.net, Antony Sguazzin

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