Hwange Thermal Power Station

The Hwange Thermal Power Station is the biggest power plant in Zimbabwe with an installed capacity of 1520 MW. It is owned and operated by the national electricity company Zimbabwe Electricity Supply Authority. It was built in two stages and consists of 4 units of 120 MW each, 2 units of 220 MW each and 2 units of 300 MW each. Engineering Consultants, Merz & McLellan, were employed for the design and supervision of the construction of the power station. Construction of Stage 1 commenced in 1973, but was suspended in 1975 due to economic sanctions imposed on Rhodesia. Stage 1's units were commissioned from 1983 to 1986 with Stage 2's units following in 1986 and 1987. A reliable source of water lies further north, in the Zambezi River. From there, through a 44 kilometres (27 mi) long pipeline, water for the boilers and cooling towers is drawn by both high and low lift pumps to a storage reservoir located adjacent to the station and conveyed by gravity to the station. About 107,000 cubic metres (3, 778, 669 cu ft) of raw water can be provided every day. The demineralisation plant has a capacity of 5,420 cubic metres (191, 405 cu ft) per day. A conveyor belt that measures 3.5 kilometres (2.2 mi) long, brings about 1,750 tonnes (1, 750, 000 kg) of coal per hour from the nearby Wankie Colliery open cast mine, and 250,000 tonnes of coal are stockpiled on site. Coal reserves estimated to su

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