ZhongXin power station is a 920 MW coal power station in Matabeleland North, Zimbabwe. It is operated by Zimbabwe ZhongXin Electric Energy Pvt Ltd [100%]. Based on its capacity (estimated), it can supply roughly 1.2 million homes (estimated). It ranks #7 of 25 Zimbabwe power plants by installed capacity. Commissioned in 2022, it is around 4 years old — recently built. In context, coal supplies about 42.9% of Zimbabwe's electricity; the national grid averages 384 gCO₂/kWh (57.1% low-carbon) (2024).
Plant data: WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0), id GEM_coa_zhongxin_zimba.
Data status
Known data
Calculated from dataset
Not available
Known, modelled and calculated values are kept separate. Missing fields are shown as unavailable.
Capacity provenance
The public capacity above is the current source-record value. A 2026 tracker candidate lists 50 MW for ZhongXin power station, but it is not used as the public primary value until scope is verified (unit vs operating vs installed/project total).
Data provenance
Capacity and fuel are the upstream open-dataset record, not yet matched to a 2026 registry or GEM entry.
capacity: GEM GCPT; fuel: GEM GCPT
In context: how this plant compares
At 920 MW, ZhongXin power station is well above the median coal plant in Zimbabwe (600 MW). Coal plants burn pulverised coal to raise high-pressure steam for a turbine; they run as baseload but are the most carbon-intensive mainstream source and the first targeted for retirement or efficiency retrofits.
Capacity comparison computed from the WRI Global Power Plant Database; fuel-type context is general engineering background.
Key facts
- Share of Zimbabwe coal capacity
- 5.9% of 15,630 MW across 21 plants in this dataset
- Age among peers
- 2 of 5 dated coal plants in Zimbabwe are older
Calculated from the capacity and generation records in this dataset (WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0)).
Capacity vs largest coal plants in Zimbabwe
Installed capacity (MW), WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0).
Owner
Operated by Zimbabwe ZhongXin Electric Energy Pvt Ltd [100%].
Climate zone & how it works
This coal plant burns coal to raise high-pressure steam that spins a turbine-generator. It sits in a hot semi-arid steppe climate (Köppen BSh) — Southern Hemisphere, latitude 18.3°S — which shapes how much energy it can produce and how its output varies through the year.
Climate zone & typical temperatures: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid).
Site climate & environmental severity
This site sits in a benign, low-corrosion environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C1 — Very low), with dust abrasion the leading environmental stress.
Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.
How it compares & nearby plants
The #7 largest coal power plant of 21 in Zimbabwe by capacity.
Zimbabwe has 21 coal power plants in this dataset, together about 15,630 MW of capacity.
Nearby power plants
- Hwange Coal Power Plant Zimbabwe · Coal · 920 MW · Matabeleland North
- Kazungula thermal power station · Coal · 135 MW · Southern
- Victoria Falls · Hydro · 108 MW · Matabeleland North
- Ever Great Energy Zambia power station · Coal · 600 MW · Southern
- HCCL Lubimbi power station · Coal · 50 MW · Matabeleland North
- Mulungwa power station · Coal · 300 MW · Southern
Location
Coordinates -18.328292, 26.404754 from WRI Global Power Plant Database (CC BY 4.0). View on OpenStreetMap.
Frequently asked questions
What type of power plant is ZhongXin power station?
ZhongXin power station is a 920 MW coal power plant in Matabeleland North, Zimbabwe, commissioned in 2022.
Who operates ZhongXin power station?
ZhongXin power station is operated by Zimbabwe ZhongXin Electric Energy Pvt Ltd [100%].