Business Reporter
ZIMBABWE’s index of electricity generation for the first quarter of 2024, at 89,2, reflects a quarter-on-quarter percentage increase of 1,2 from 88,1 in the 4th quarter of 2023.
This is according to the Zimbabwe National Statistics Agency’s (Zimstat) index of electricity generation report.
An index of electricity generation is an economic indicator that shows changes in the volume of electricity generated in a country over time in relation to a given reference period.
According to the report, the 2024 first quarter index of 89,2 reflects a year-on-year increase.
Hwange generated 1696,4 GWh, representing 75,4 percent of the total electricity generated during the first quarter of 2024, followed by Kariba Power Station, which generated a total of 440,5 GWh of electricity, constituting 19,6 percent of the total electricity generated during the quarter.
Independent Power Producers (IPPs) produced 5,1 percent of the total electricity generated.
The Zimstat report shows that 505,4 GWh of electricity was imported in the first quarter of 2024, reflecting a 33,3 percent increase on a quarter-on-quarter basis from the 379,1 GWh imported in the fourth quarter of 2023.
About 35 percent of the imported electricity was obtained from Eskom (South Africa), HCB (Mozambique, 23 percent), ZESCO (Zambia, 28 percent), EDM (Mozambique, 11 percent) and DAM (South African Power Pool, 3 percent).
The volume of electricity exported in the first quarter of 2024 was 89,4 GWh, a 14,4 percent decrease from the 104,5 GWh exported in the fourth quarter of 2023.
“Of the 89,4 GWh of electricity exported during the firsst quarter of 2024, NamPower of Namibia received 74,5 GWh, which represents 83,3 percent,” reads the index report.
The report also shows that the total volume of electricity distributed during the first quarter of 2024 was 2026,4 GWh, and this reflects a decrease of 7,6 percent when compared to the 2192.2 GWh from the previous period.
Users in the manufacturing, transport, and construction sectors consumed 616,5 GWh, which was 30,4 percent of the power, while the mining and quarrying sector used 286.0 GWh, which was 14,1 percent.
Domestic consumers used 500.1 GWh, which was 23 percent of the electricity.
Others used 474,5 GWh, which is 24,7 percent; while the agriculture and forestry sector used 159,6 GWh, which is 7,9 percent.
