Govt flies blind on mining industry’s 700MW power demand

GOVERNMENT has admitted it lacks comprehensive data on the mining sector’s actual energy consumption despite the industry being Zimbabwe’s largest single electricity user, exposing a critical gap in national power planning at a time when electricity shortages continue to constrain economic growth.

Zimbabwe’s mining industry consumes about 16% to 20% of the nation’s total electricity, while the sector accounts for nearly 45% of the country’s combined industrial and mining energy demand.

The admission highlights a growing challenge for policymakers as mining activity expands, driven by increased base-metal, coal and lithium processing.

This story is for NewsDay subscribers.