By Dr Engineer Edzai KachirekwaElectrical Engineer | Energy Expert | Energy Infrastructure Strategist
Zimbabwe’s mineral wealth presents an opportunity to transform the national economy, but natural resources alone do not guarantee prosperity. The real challenge is converting platinum, diamonds, lithium and other minerals into industrial capacity, skilled employment, technological advancement and lasting economic value. Achieving this requires reliable electricity, strategic investment and the engineering expertise to connect resource extraction with domestic production.
These issues formed part of the discussion at the recent Zimbabwe Broadcasting Corporation (ZBC) and IMA Press Russia roundtable, held ahead of the Russia–Africa Summit in Moscow. Under the theme “Zimbabwe’s Raw Materials Sector: Technology, Investment and Development,” the conversation examined how cooperation between Zimbabwe and Russia could support mining, energy, trade, agribusiness and industrial development.
From an electrical engineering perspective, energy is the link between mineral wealth and productive economic activity. Mining operations require electricity for machinery, ventilation, pumping and processing. Mineral beneficiation requires additional power for refining and manufacturing. Agriculture, fertiliser production, cold storage and modern industries also depend on dependable electricity. Without it, production costs rise, industrial investment becomes more difficult and opportunities for local value addition are lost.
This is why potential cooperation between Zimbabwe and Russia in peaceful nuclear energy deserves serious consideration.
Nuclear power could provide substantial, dependable electricity to complement Zimbabwe’s solar, hydroelectric and other energy resources. Properly integrated into the national grid, it could support energy diversification and help meet the sustained power requirements of mines and industries. However, nuclear energy is not an immediate solution to every electricity challenge. Its suitability must be established through rigorous technical, financial, environmental and safety assessments.
Engineering the foundation for growth
A power station cannot be assessed by its generating capacity alone. Its true value depends on whether electricity can be delivered reliably to consumers. Transmission lines, substations, transformers, protection systems, voltage control and grid stability are all essential components of a functioning power system.
A proposed nuclear facility would therefore require detailed studies of Zimbabwe’s electricity network, including its ability to accommodate a large generating unit and withstand unexpected interruptions. Investment in generation must be accompanied by appropriate grid infrastructure, operational planning and skilled personnel.
Zimbabwe would also need strong regulatory institutions, nuclear safety arrangements, emergency preparedness, radioactive waste management systems and a sustainable programme for developing local expertise. These are essential requirements, not administrative details to be addressed after construction decisions have been made.
Russia’s experience in nuclear technology could offer Zimbabwe opportunities for technical cooperation, education, research and specialist training. The objective should extend beyond acquiring technology. Zimbabwe must build the capacity to understand, regulate, operate and maintain sophisticated energy infrastructure while ensuring that international partnerships serve the country’s long-term interests.
From reliable electricity to GDP growth
The relationship between electricity and gross domestic product is best understood through the economic activity that dependable power makes possible. Electricity does not automatically generate economic growth. Rather, it enables businesses to produce goods and services more consistently, use equipment efficiently and expand operations with greater confidence.
Consider Zimbabwe’s platinum industry. The economic opportunity extends beyond extracting ore and exporting it. With competitive electricity and appropriate investment, more activity could take place locally through processing, refining, engineering services, equipment maintenance and related manufacturing. These activities could create employment, develop technical skills and generate opportunities for domestic suppliers.
The same principle applies to diamonds, agriculture and manufacturing. Reliable power can support agro-processing, irrigation, cold-chain facilities, industrial production and digital services. The broader benefit emerges when electricity supports productive enterprises that create value within Zimbabwe rather than simply increasing the volume of raw materials exported.
This is particularly relevant to Zimbabwe’s ambitions for economic expansion, including any target described as a US$3 billion economy or investment programme. Such a target must be clearly defined and supported by measurable economic assumptions. Nuclear energy cannot guarantee a particular GDP outcome, but a well-planned electricity system can help remove constraints on production, competitiveness and investment.
The economic case for nuclear power must nevertheless account for its substantial upfront costs, financing arrangements, construction period, operating expenses, decommissioning and waste management obligations. These costs should be compared transparently with other options, including solar generation, storage, hydroelectricity, rehabilitation of existing power stations and transmission upgrades. The national priority must be reliable electricity at a cost the economy can sustain.
Building local skills and industrial capability
One of the most valuable outcomes of Zimbabwe–Russia cooperation could be the development of Zimbabwean technical expertise. Advanced energy infrastructure requires electrical and mechanical engineers, nuclear specialists, instrumentation and control professionals, technicians, safety experts and researchers.
Universities, technical colleges and industry should work together to prepare this workforce. Training agreements should lead to practical competencies, research opportunities and meaningful participation by Zimbabwean professionals. Local businesses should also have opportunities to provide suitable engineering, maintenance, construction and support services.
Technology transfer is most valuable when it builds lasting domestic capacity. Zimbabwe should therefore evaluate partnerships not only by the infrastructure delivered, but also by the skills developed, local enterprises strengthened and knowledge retained within the country.
This principle should extend beyond nuclear energy. The technical capabilities developed through advanced power projects can also support mining, renewable energy, manufacturing and other infrastructure sectors.
A diversified energy strategy
Zimbabwe should not frame nuclear power as a competitor to renewable energy. Solar, hydroelectricity, storage and other technologies can perform complementary functions within a well-designed electricity system. The appropriate mix must be determined by demand forecasts, technical performance, environmental considerations, financing and long-term affordability.
Cooperation with Russia should also be assessed in the wider context of trade, fertiliser production, agriculture and industrial investment. Reliable electricity can help these sectors expand, but power alone is not enough. Businesses also need access to finance, appropriate technology, skilled workers, dependable logistics and predictable commercial conditions.
A successful partnership must therefore move beyond agreements and announcements to projects that produce measurable benefits for Zimbabweans. These should include reliable electricity, productive investment, employment, skills development, local supplier participation and greater domestic value addition.
Conclusion: Engineering prosperity
The central lesson from the roundtable is that natural resources become a lasting economic advantage when a country develops the infrastructure and capabilities needed to transform them into productive output.
For Zimbabwe, potential nuclear energy cooperation with Russia could form part of a long-term strategy for electricity security, industrialisation and advanced engineering development. Its success, however, will depend on sound planning, credible financing, independent safety oversight, grid readiness and a clear commitment to developing local expertise.
As an electrical engineer, I believe Zimbabwe must look beyond the power station itself. We must engineer the complete system that connects generation to consumers and electricity to productive industry. We must also ensure that the power generated supports businesses capable of creating jobs, expanding exports and retaining more economic value within the country.
Zimbabwe’s future will be shaped not only by the minerals beneath its soil, but by the energy systems, engineering knowledge and industries it builds around them.
The objective is not simply to generate more electricity. It is to turn reliable power into productive capacity, productive capacity into industrial growth, and industrial growth into sustainable prosperity for Zimbabwe.
