ZPC Reveals What Caused Latest Hwange Power Station Shutdown
The Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) has finally shed light on the recent power outages that have left parts of the country in the dark. The problem, it turns out, started with a serious technical fault at Hwange Power Station involving a chemical mishap.
ZPC said the incident began on Sunday, 4 May 2025, when Unit 2 at the station shut down around 11:00 AM after one of its tubes started leaking. Around the same time, engineers noticed something unusual — the water running through the system had become dangerously acidic, showing high conductivity and a low pH. These were warning signs of serious contamination.
“Hwange Power Station experienced a loss of Unit 2 at approximately 11:00 AM due to a tube leak… the water exhibited elevated conductivity and significantly low pH levels, indicating possible contamination by acidic material,” ZPC explained in a statement.
The acidic water, which came from the station’s treatment plant, spread through the system and forced all operating units to shut down. ZPC acted quickly by isolating the contaminated treatment plant and flushing the entire system. Although they’ve managed to stabilise the water supply, the acid has already caused significant damage to the boilers, particularly Units 1 and 2.
“Subsequent investigations have identified the water treatment plant as the source… Significant tube leaks were identified on Units 1 and 2,” the utility confirmed.
Repairs are now in progress. ZPC says Unit 1 should be up and running again by midnight on Wednesday, 7 May. Technicians are still carrying out pressure tests and repairs on Units 3, 4, and 6, which were also operating when the fault occurred. If all goes according to plan, ZPC expects to have all five units back online by Friday, 9 May.
“All five affected units are projected to be fully operational by the end of day on Friday, 9 May 2025,” the company said.
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The post ZPC Reveals What Caused Latest Hwange Power Station Shutdown appeared first on iHarare News.
