Zimbabwe, which is facing crippling power shortages, has started exporting electricity to Namibia under a US$50 million power purchase deal struck by the two governments last year.
This ironic development was confirmed by NamPower spokesman John Kaimu this week who said that 40 MW began flowing in from Zimbabwe on 3 January.
“It will give us breathing space and add to the local generation,” Kaimu told the Economist in Windhoek.

He added, “We are going to be importing less from Eskom. In fact, it comes at a good time when the water level at Ruacana is very low.”
Last March, following a state visit to Namibia by Zimbabwe’s President Robert Mugabe, the Namibian power utility NamPower advanced US$40 million to the country to assist towards the refurbishment of electricity generating units at its coal fired Hwange Power Station in return for a guaranteed supply of 150 MW over the next five years.
A further US$10 million was unveiled in December last year.
The rehabilitation involves both the turbine and generator at Unit 3 which were disassembled for repairs. The other three units will be commissioned in intervals of three months thereafter with the last unit scheduled for October 2008.
ast year, Kaimu said a total of 150 MW for a period of five years will have a significant impact in the supply situation in Namibia.
“Taking the current maximum demand for 449 MW into consideration, the addition of 150 MW represents more than 30%,” Kaimu said at that time.
Ironically, power exports from traditional suppliers of Zimbabwe have been falling for different reasons.
The news comes head over heels to reports that most parts of Zimbabwe had been plunged into darkness as the country’s power shortages worsen amid revelations that Mozambique’s Hydro Cabora Bassa and Snel of the Democratic Republic of Congo had cut supplies over the non-payment for supplies by the country’s cash strapped utility, ZESA Holdings.
Eskom of South Africa, which used to export 400 MW at any given time to Zimbabwe, has since stopped due to "some operational hitches" at its power-generating plants, Zimbabwe’s state-owned Herald newspaper reported this week.
While Zimbabwe requires at least 1500 MW daily, its two major sources of electricity, Hwange Power Station and Kariba South, are producing an average of 1,000, which falls short of the country’s daily requirements resulting in countrywide power outrages.
"Zesa is currently struggling to meet rising electricity demand owing to a variety of factors [such as] coal shortages and hard currency limitations needed in the importation of at least 35% of the country's total energy requirements," the Herald quoted an official from the utility as saying.
In December last year, NamPower’s Managing Director of NamPower Paulinus Shilamba said that, despite the on-going blackout that have crippled Zimbabwe’s industry – especially the mining sector – the country was honour-bound to fulfil the pledges of the power purchase agreement.
“If they (ZESA) can’t generate the power to supply us, they still must find the power elsewhere to fulfil their part,” Shilamba said.