Deka Pipeline Upgrade Project Nears Completion, 85% of the Work Already Done
The Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) said early this week that the Deka Pipeline upgrading project in Matabeleland North is now 85 percent complete, the Chronicle reported on Monday.
The development of the 42km pipeline project, which is expected to be completed end of March, connecting the Deka High Lift Pump Station to the Hwange Power Station, is critical for enhancing the operationalization of the Hwange Thermal Power Station, being boosted with 600MW capacity funded by $1.4 billion worth of investment.
The project, which also received $48.1 million in funding from the Exim Bank of India, has an extensive scope and includes the refurbishment of the Hwange Water Treatment Plant and the provision of three tap-off points for the supply of raw water to the Deka community.
"The Deka Upgrade Project is on schedule and is 85 percent complete and is on course to be completed by March 31, 2023, " ZPC said in an update.
The Deka upgrade project began in October and included laying pipes and fitting, building access roads along the pipeline, and digging the pipeline trench. Due to the constant water supply required by The Hwange Thermal Power Station from the Zambezi River, the Deka water project is critical to fulfilling that need.
The Deka Pipeline will increase the water supply to the power station from 3500 to 6000 cubic meters per hour and also play a critical role in helping the country achieve energy self-sufficiency and contribute to the National Development Strategy (NDS1) and Vision 2030.
Harare believes steady electricity is essential to reaching the goals of NDS1 and transforming into an upper-middle-income society by 2030.
Meanwhile, the power company is constructing new homes in Ingagula and building social amenities such as a shopping mall, clinics, schools, and playing fields.
Last year, the power company estimated that $87 million was needed to build a new residential area for its workforce, which would be relocated from the Ingagula suburb near the Hwange Thermal Power Station due to its proximity to the pollution from the power plant's expansion works.