Staff Reporter

Efforts are underway to restore full power supply across Zimbabwe following two critical incidents at Hwange Power Station and Highfield Substation earlier this week.

Authorities have assured the public that repairs are progressing well, with most services expected to be reinstated by Friday, 9 May 2025.

On Sunday, 4 May 2025, Hwange Power Station experienced an emergency outage after Unit 2 was shut down due to a boiler tube leak.

 Investigations revealed that abnormal water chemistry, including elevated conductivity and low pH levels, had contaminated the system, affecting all units.

The water treatment plant was identified as the source, and immediate corrective actions were taken.

"Water supply has since been stabilised and is now adequate for plant operations," reads a statement from the Zimbabwe Power Company.

Repairs are currently in progress, with Unit 1 expected to return to service by the morning of Wednesday, 7 May.

Units 3, 4, and 6 are undergoing pressure testing, with full restoration anticipated by Friday.

In a separate incident, a fire broke out at Highfield Substation on the evening of 4 May, damaging critical equipment, including a 20 MVA transformer, circuit breakers, and control cables.

 The incident caused widespread outages in Southern, Workington, Willowvale, and other areas.

Despite the challenges, significant progress has been made in restoring power.

"Beatrice substation has been successfully restored, bringing back power to Old Adbernnie, Waterfalls, Mbare, and parts of Southern," the update noted.

Load reconfiguration efforts have also allowed Workington to be backfed from Kambuzuma and Willowvale from Parkridge via Glen View.

A transformer from Hatgates will be relocated to Highfield to expedite repairs.

However, some areas, including Varuun Beverages, New Adbernnie, and parts of Highfield residential, remain without power as work continues.

Authorities remain optimistic about resolving both incidents swiftly.

The public has been urged to remain patient as teams are working around the clock to restore normalcy.

With repairs on track, Zimbabweans can expect a return to stable power supply by the end of the week, marking a significant step toward resolving the recent disruptions.