Grid Code

ZIMBABWE GRID CODE
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Zimbabwe Grid Code Page 1 of 188 November 2005

ZIMBABWE GRID CODE
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
PREAMBLE ....................................................................................................................... 23
PURPOSE OF GRID CODE ....................................................................................................... 24
OBJECTIVES OF THE GRID CODE ............................................................................................ 24
CONTENT OF THE GRID CODE................................................................................................ 25
DEFINITIONS ................................................................................................................... 26
SECTION 1 ....................................................................................................................... 44
GOVERNANCE OF THE CODE .................................................................................................. 44
1.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 44
1.2 Objective ............................................................................................................ 44
1.3 Responsibilities ...................................................................................................... 44
1.4 Grid Code Review Panel............................................................................................. 44
1.5 Standing Committees to deal with specific issues ............................................................... 45
1.6 Grid Code Review Panel Rules...................................................................................... 45
1.7 Functions of the Grid Code Review Panel ......................................................................... 46
1.8 Grid Code Review and Revisions Procedures ...................................................................... 46
1.9 Disputes ............................................................................................................. 47
1.9.1 Disputes regarding interpretation of the Grid Code ............................................................. 47
1.9.2 Dispute pertaining to issues not covered by the Grid Code..................................................... 47
1.9.3 Continuity of Functioning of Grid Users .......................................................................... 47
1.9.4 Unforeseen Circumstances ......................................................................................... 48
SECTION 2 ....................................................................................................................... 49
GRID CONNECTION CODE ..................................................................................................... 49
2.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 49
2.1.1 Purpose .............................................................................................................. 49
2.1.2 Scope of Grid Connection Requirements .......................................................................... 49
2.2 Grid Technical, Design and Operational Criteria ................................................................. 50
2.2.1 Power Quality Standards........................................................................................... 50
2.2.2 Frequency Variation ................................................................................................ 50

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2.2.3 Voltage Variations .................................................................................................. 50
2.2.4 Harmonics ........................................................................................................... 51
2.2.5 Voltage Unbalance .................................................................................................. 51
2.2.6 Voltage Fluctuation and Flicker Severity ......................................................................... 51
2.2.7 Transient Voltage Variations....................................................................................... 51
2.2.8 Grounding Requirements ............................................................................................ 51
2.2.9 Equipment Standards ............................................................................................... 51
2.3 Requirements for Grid Connection or Modification............................................................... 52
2.3.1 Connection Agreement .............................................................................................. 52
2.3.2 Amended Connection Agreement................................................................................... 52
2.3.3 Grid Impact Studies................................................................................................ 52
2.3.4 Procedures for Application for Connection or Modification ..................................................... 53
2.3.5 Processing of Application ........................................................................................... 54
2.3.6 Submittals Prior to the Commissioning Date...................................................................... 54
2.3.7 Commissioning of Equipment and Physical Connection to the Grid .............................................. 55
2.4 Requirements For Large Generators .............................................................................. 55
2.4.1 Requirements Relating to the Connection Point................................................................... 55
2.4.2 Generating Unit Power Output ..................................................................................... 56
2.4.3 Frequency Withstand Capability ................................................................................... 56
2.4.4 Unbalance Loading Withstand Capability.......................................................................... 56
2.4.5 Speed- Governing System........................................................................................... 57
2.4.6 Excitation Control System ......................................................................................... 57
2.4.7 Black Start Capability .............................................................................................. 57
2.4.8 Fast Start Capability............................................................................................... 58
2.4.9 Protection Arrangements ........................................................................................... 58
2.4.10 Transformer Connection and Grounding ........................................................................... 59
2.5 REQUIREMENTS FOR DISTRIBUTORS AND OTHER GRID USERS.......................................... 59
2.5.1 Requirements Relating to the Connection Point................................................................... 59
2.5.2 Protection Arrangements ........................................................................................... 59

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2.5.3 Transformer Connection and Grounding ........................................................................... 59
2.5.4 Underfrequency Relays for Automatic Load Shedding........................................................... 60
2.6 COMMUNICATION AND SCADA EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS ............................................ 60
2.6.1 Communication System for Monitoring and Control .............................................................. 60
2.6.2 SCADA System for Monitoring and Control ...................................................................... 61
2.7 FIXED ASSET BOUNDARY DOCUMENT REQUIREMENTS .................................................... 61
2.7.1 Fixed Asset Boundary Document .................................................................................. 61
2.7.2 Accountable Managers.............................................................................................. 62
2.7.3 Preparation of Fixed Asset Boundary Document ................................................................. 62
2.7.4 Signing and Distribution of Fixed Asset Boundary Document ................................................... 63
2.7.5 Modifications of an Existing Fixed Asset Boundary Document.................................................. 63
2.8 ELECTRICAL DIAGRAM REQUIREMENTS ....................................................................... 64
2.8.1 Responsibilities of ZETCO and Users ............................................................................. 64
2.8.2 Preparation of Electrical Diagrams ................................................................................ 64
2.8.3 Changes to Electrical Diagrams.................................................................................... 65
2.8.4 Validity of Electrical Diagrams .................................................................................... 65
2.9 CONNECTION POINT DRAWING REQUIREMENTS ........................................................... 66
2.9.1 Responsibilities of ZETCO and Users ............................................................................. 66
2.9.2 Preparation of Connection Point Drawings ........................................................................ 66
2.9.3 Changes to Connection Point Drawings ............................................................................ 66
2.9.4 Validity of the Connection Point Drawings ........................................................................ 67
2.10 GRID DATA REGISTRATION ..................................................................................... 67
2.10.1 Data to be Registered ............................................................................................. 67
2.10.2 Stages of Data Registration ....................................................................................... 68
2.11 Data Forms.......................................................................................................... 69
2.12 Connected Plant Restrictions....................................................................................... 69
2.12.1 General Principle .................................................................................................... 69
2.12.2 Safety ............................................................................................................... 69
2.12.3 Insulation ............................................................................................................ 69

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2.12.4 Clearances ........................................................................................................... 70
2.12.5 Earthing ............................................................................................................. 70
2.12.6 Safety Training ..................................................................................................... 70
2.12.7 Access by ZETCO .................................................................................................. 70
2.12.8 Unintended and Unscheduled back- energisation.................................................................. 70
2.12.9 Site And Equipment Identification ................................................................................ 71
SECTION 3 ....................................................................................................................... 72
PERFORMANCE STANDARDS CODE ........................................................................................... 72
3 POWER QUALITY STANDARDS .................................................................................. 72
3.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 72
3.1 Purpose and Scope .................................................................................................. 72
3.3 Power Quality ....................................................................................................... 72
3.3.1 Frequency Variations ............................................................................................... 73
3.3.2 Harmonics ........................................................................................................... 73
3.3.2.1 Limits ................................................................................................................ 73
3.3.2.2 Control and Measurement .......................................................................................... 74
3.3.3 Voltage Variations .................................................................................................. 75
3.3.4 Voltage Unbalance .................................................................................................. 75
3.3.5 Voltage Fluctuation and Flicker Severity ......................................................................... 76
3.3.5.1 Indicator of Quality for System Flicker ......................................................................... 76
3.3.5.2 Limits ................................................................................................................ 76
3.3.5.3 Monitoring Control and Measurement ............................................................................. 77
3.4 Reliability Standards ............................................................................................... 77
3.4.1 Service Reliability .................................................................................................. 78
3.5 Power Factor ........................................................................................................ 79
3.5.1 General description ................................................................................................. 79
3.5.1.1 Limit ................................................................................................................. 79
3.5.1.2 Control and Measurement .......................................................................................... 79
3.5.1.3 Penalty ............................................................................................................... 79

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3.5.2 Reactive Power Requirements ...................................................................................... 79
SECTION 4 ..................................................................................................................... 80
PLANNING CODE ................................................................................................................ 80
4.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 80
4.2 TRANSMISSION SYSTEM PLANNING CRITERIA ............................................................. 80
4.2.1 Voltage Definitions ................................................................................................. 80
4.2.2 Normal Operation ................................................................................................... 81
4.2.2.1 Loading Limits ....................................................................................................... 82
4.2.2.2 Voltage Limits ....................................................................................................... 82
4.2.3 Outage Conditions................................................................................................... 82
4.2.3.1 Reserve Requirements .............................................................................................. 83
4.2.3.2 Stability Criteria.................................................................................................... 83
4.2.3.3 Loading Limits ....................................................................................................... 83
4.2.3.4 Steady State Voltage Limits ...................................................................................... 84
4.2.3.5 Transient Voltage Deviations ...................................................................................... 84
4.2.4 Other Criteria ...................................................................................................... 84
4.2.4.1 Losses................................................................................................................ 84
4.2.4.2 Line Design and Substation Design ................................................................................ 84
4.2.4.3 System Protection Schemes ....................................................................................... 86
4.2.4.4 Steady State Stability Limits ..................................................................................... 86
4.2.4.5 Maintenance Restrictions........................................................................................... 86
4.3 SUB- TRANSMISSION SYSTEM PLANNING CRITERIA....................................................... 87
4.3.1 Voltage Definitions ................................................................................................. 87
4.3.2 Line Loading Limits ................................................................................................. 88
4.3.4 132 kV Transformer Loading Limits............................................................................... 91
4.3.5 330 kV Transformer Loading Limits............................................................................... 92
4.3.6 Voltage Limits ....................................................................................................... 93
4.3.7 Other Criteria ...................................................................................................... 94
4.3.7.1 Losses................................................................................................................ 94

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4.3.7.2 Line and Substation Design ........................................................................................ 94
4.4 NETWORK DEVELOPMENT APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY ................................................ 94
4.4.1 Objectives ........................................................................................................... 95
4.4.2 Approach ............................................................................................................ 95
4.4.3 Methodology ......................................................................................................... 97
4.4.3.1 Basis ................................................................................................................. 97
4.4.3.2 Grid Planning Studies - Technical Analysis ....................................................................... 100
4.4.3.3 Economic Analysis .................................................................................................. 102
4.4.3.4 Environmental Analysis ............................................................................................ 102
4.4.3.5 Financial Analysis .................................................................................................. 103
4.4.3.6 Final Selection ..................................................................................................... 103
4.3.4 Transmission Planning Tools ....................................................................................... 104
4.5 POWER DEVELOPMENT........................................................................................... 104
4.6 PLANNING DATA EXCHANGE ................................................................................... 109
SECTION 5 ...................................................................................................................... 110
OPERATIONS CODE ............................................................................................................ 110
5.1 Introduction................................................................................................................. 110
5.2 Purpose ............................................................................................................. 110
5.3 Responsibility ....................................................................................................... 110
5.4 System Monitoring ................................................................................................. 111
5.5 System Services ................................................................................................... 112
5.5.1 Frequency Control Service ........................................................................................ 112
5.5.1.1 Frequency Range ................................................................................................... 112
5.5.1.2 Frequency Control.................................................................................................. 112
5.5.1.3 Control Area Frequency and Interchange Control............................................................... 113
5.5.2 Voltage Control Service ........................................................................................... 113
5.5.2.1 Voltage Range ..................................................................................................... 114
5.5.2.2 Voltage Control..................................................................................................... 114
5.5.3 Equipment loading ................................................................................................. 115

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5.6 Operational Planning ............................................................................................... 115
5.6.1 Demand and Supply planning ...................................................................................... 115
5.6.2 Outage Planning .................................................................................................... 116
5.6.3 Contingency Planning .............................................................................................. 116
5.7 Records ............................................................................................................. 117
5.7.1 Demand and Energy Data records................................................................................ 117
5.7.2 Safety records..................................................................................................... 117
5.7.3 Fault Recording And Reporting ................................................................................... 118
5.8 Safety Coordination ............................................................................................... 118
5.8.1 Responsibility ....................................................................................................... 118
5.8.2 Authorised Persons ................................................................................................ 119
5.8.3 Work On Plant and Equipment .................................................................................... 119
5.8.3 Electrical Accidents ............................................................................................... 119
5.9 Communications..................................................................................................... 120
5.10 Demand Control .................................................................................................... 120
5.8.2 Planned Demand Control ........................................................................................... 120
5.10.2 Automatic (Emergency) Demand Control ......................................................................... 121
5.11 Power System Restoration After Blackout ...................................................................... 121
5.12 Schedule And Dispatch ............................................................................................ 122
5.13 Network Switching................................................................................................. 123
5.14 System test ........................................................................................................ 123
5.14.1 System Test Requirements ....................................................................................... 123
5.14.2 System Test Request.............................................................................................. 123
5.14.3 System Test Group ................................................................................................ 124
5.14.4 System Test Program ............................................................................................. 125
5.14.5 System Test Report ............................................................................................... 126
5.15 Generating unit capability tests .................................................................................. 126
5.15.1 Test Requirements................................................................................................. 127
5.15.2 Tests to be performed ............................................................................................ 127

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5.16 Maintenance Requirements ........................................................................................ 129
5.16.1 Transformer Oil Containment ..................................................................................... 129
5.16.2 Equipment Maintenance............................................................................................ 129
5.16.2.1 Maintenance Schedule for Switchgear ........................................................................... 129
5.16.2.2 Maintenance of Transformer and Switchgear Dielectric Oil ................................................... 129
5.16.2.3 Maintenance of Power Transformers............................................................................. 129
5.16.3 Infrared Thermograph ............................................................................................ 130
5.16.4 Noise level measurements ......................................................................................... 130
5.16.4 Polychrobiphenyls (PCB) Management............................................................................. 130
5.16.5 Live Line / Dead Line Maintenance............................................................................... 130
5.16.6 Line Way Leaves Maintenance .................................................................................... 130
5.16.7 Battery Maintenance .............................................................................................. 130
5.16.8 Circuit Breaker Tests (SF6 And Vacuum) ....................................................................... 131
SECTION 6 ...................................................................................................................... 132
METERING CODE ............................................................................................................... 132
6.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 132
6.2 Objective ........................................................................................................... 132
6.3 Scope ............................................................................................................... 132
6.4 Application of the Metering Code ................................................................................ 132
6.5 Metering Equipment................................................................................................ 133
6.6 Active Energy and Demand Metering ............................................................................ 133
6.7 Tariff Metering.................................................................................................... 133
6.8 Integrating Pulse Meters.......................................................................................... 134
6.9 Responsibility For Metering Installations ........................................................................ 134
6.10 Metering equipment standards.................................................................................... 135
6.10.1 Voltage Transformers ............................................................................................. 135
6.10.2 Current Transformers ............................................................................................. 135
6.10.3 Meters .............................................................................................................. 135
6.10.4 Integrating Pulse Recorders ...................................................................................... 136

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6.11 Metering Equipment Testing And Maintenance .................................................................. 137
6.11.1 Instrument Transformer Testing ................................................................................. 137
6.11.2 Meter Testing and Calibration.................................................................................... 137
6.11.3 Request for Test .................................................................................................. 137
6.11.4 Maintenance of Metering Equipment ............................................................................. 138
6.11.5 Metering Equipment Security ..................................................................................... 138
6.12 Meter Reading And Metering Data............................................................................... 138
6.12.1 Integrating Pulse Metering Data ................................................................................. 138
6.12.2 Running Total of Active Energy and Power ...................................................................... 139
6.12.3 Running Total of Reactive Energy and Power.................................................................... 139
6.12.4 Billing and Settlement Procedure ................................................................................. 139
6.13 Settlement Audit Procedure ...................................................................................... 139
6.13.1 Right to Request Settlement Audit .............................................................................. 139
6.13.2 Allocation of Audit Cost........................................................................................... 140
6.13.3 Audit Results ....................................................................................................... 140
6.13.4 Audit Appeals ...................................................................................................... 140
6.14 Confidentiality...................................................................................................... 140
7 References ......................................................................................................... 140
SECTION 7 ...................................................................................................................... 141
PROTECTION CODE............................................................................................................. 141
7.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 141
7.2 Objective ........................................................................................................... 141
7.3 General Principles .................................................................................................. 141
7.4 Protection Coordination at the Connection Point ................................................................ 142
7.5 Testing of Protection Equipment.................................................................................. 142
7.6 Fault Clearance Times ............................................................................................. 142
7.7 Generator Protection Requirements .............................................................................. 143
7.8 Transmission Line (220- 400kV) Protection Requirements ...................................................... 143
7.8.1 Transmission Line Protection Design Standard ................................................................ 144

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7.8.2 Automatic Re closing (ARC) On Transmission Lines ............................................................. 144
7.8.3 Power Swing Blocking .............................................................................................. 145
7.9 Sub transmission (132kV and below) Lines ..................................................................... 145
7.10 Distribution Line Protection Requirements: ...................................................................... 145
7.10.1 Plain Radial Feeders: .............................................................................................. 145
7.10.2 Parallel Feeders/ Ring Feeders: .................................................................................. 146
7.11 Transformer Protection Requirements: .......................................................................... 146
7.11.1 Generating Station/ Transmission System ....................................................................... 146
7.11.2 Distribution system at Connection Point ......................................................................... 146
7.12 Sub- Station Bus Bar Protection .................................................................................. 146
7.13 Teleprotection Requirements...................................................................................... 147
7.13.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 147
7.13.2 Characteristics of Teleprotection ................................................................................ 147
7.13.3 Teleprotection Schemes ........................................................................................... 147
7.13.3.1 Direct Transfer Trip (DTT) ...................................................................................... 147
7.13.3.2 Permissive Under Reach Transfer Trip (PUTT) ................................................................ 147
7.13.3.3 Permissive over reach Transfer Trip (POTT)................................................................... 147
7.13.3.4 Blocking Schemes .................................................................................................. 148
7.14 Over voltage Protection ........................................................................................... 148
7.14.1 Protection against Lightning Over voltages ...................................................................... 148
7.14.1.1 Rod Gaps ........................................................................................................... 148
7.14.1.2 Horn Gaps .......................................................................................................... 148
7.14.1.3 Lightning Masks .................................................................................................... 149
7.14.1.4 Surge Arrestors ................................................................................................... 149
7.15 Protection Against Switching Surges at the Connecting Point ................................................. 149
7.16 Protection of Compensating Equipment ........................................................................... 149
7.16.1 Protection of Reactors ............................................................................................ 149
7.16.2 Protection of Capacitors .......................................................................................... 149
7.16.3 Protection of Static Var Compensators.......................................................................... 149

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7.17 Under frequency Load Shedding.................................................................................. 149
7.18 Safety Protection Requirements.................................................................................. 150
7.18.1 Fire Protection ..................................................................................................... 150
7.18.2 Personnel Protection ............................................................................................... 151
7.18.3 Visitors ............................................................................................................. 151
7.18.4 Equipment Switching ............................................................................................... 151
7.18.5 Carrying out Works at the Connection Point .................................................................... 151
7.19 Earthing Requirements For Substations.......................................................................... 151
7.19.1 Earthing Systems .................................................................................................. 151
7.19.2 Periodic Checks on Earthing Systems ............................................................................ 152
7.20 Test and Commissioning Procedures .............................................................................. 152
7.21 Data Requirements:................................................................................................ 153
SECTION 8 ...................................................................................................................... 154
INFORMATION EXCHANGE CODE ............................................................................................ 154
8.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 154
8.2 Information exchange interface .................................................................................. 154
8.3 Confidentiality of information .................................................................................... 154
8.4 Telephone/Fax ..................................................................................................... 155
8.5 Electronic Mail ..................................................................................................... 155
8.6 System planning information ...................................................................................... 155
8.7 Operational information ........................................................................................... 157
8.7.1 Pre- commissioning studies......................................................................................... 157
8.7.2 Commissioning and notification .................................................................................... 158
8.7.3 General information acquisition requirements.................................................................... 158
8.7.3.1 Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA)............................................................. 158
8.7.3.2 Generation Operational SCADA data............................................................................. 159
8.7.3.3 Transmission System Operational SCADA data ................................................................. 159
8.7.3.4 Process signals interface to RTU................................................................................. 159
8.8 Unit Scheduling .................................................................................................... 160

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8.8.1 Declared Available Capacity ...................................................................................... 160
8.8.2 Statement of Reduction and Re- establishment in Declared Available Capacity.............................. 161
8.8.3 Scheduled Capacity Requirement ................................................................................. 161
8.9 Demand Scheduling ................................................................................................ 161
8.10 Data storage and archiving ....................................................................................... 162
8.11 File Transfers...................................................................................................... 162
8.12 Performance data.................................................................................................. 163
8.12.1 Generator performance data ..................................................................................... 163
8.12.2 ZEDC and End- Use Customer Performance...................................................................... 163
8.12.3 Performance ........................................................................................................ 164
Performance this month ........................................................................................................ 164
SECTION 9 ...................................................................................................................... 165
PROJECT APRAISAL FRAMEWORK CODE ..................................................................................... 165
9.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 165
9.2 Project Documentation Guidelines ................................................................................ 165
9.2.1 Project Justification............................................................................................... 166
9.2.2 Results of cost/benefit analysis .................................................................................. 167
9.2.3 Conclusions and recommendations................................................................................. 167
9.3 APPRAISAL GUIDELINES ........................................................................................ 167
9.3.1 Economic Analysis .................................................................................................. 167
9.3.1.1 Purpose ............................................................................................................. 167
9.3.1.2 Underlying Principles............................................................................................... 167
9.3.1.3 Cost Parameters ................................................................................................... 168
9.3.2 Operation and Maintenance Costs ................................................................................ 169
9.3.3 Electricity Production Cost........................................................................................ 170
9.3.4 Opportunity Costs.................................................................................................. 170
9.3.5 Transfer Payments ................................................................................................ 170
9.3.6 Shadow Pricing ..................................................................................................... 171
9.3.7 Foreign exchange (Shadow Exchange Rate) ..................................................................... 171

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9.3.8 Economic Life ...................................................................................................... 171
9.3.9 Benefits............................................................................................................. 172
9.4 Cost- Benefit Analysis ............................................................................................. 172
9.4.1 Objective ........................................................................................................... 172
9.4.2 Methodology ........................................................................................................ 172
9.4.3 Discount Factors ................................................................................................... 172
9.4.4 Discount Rate ...................................................................................................... 173
9.4.4.1 The Net Present Value (NPV) .................................................................................... 173
9.4.4.2 The Internal Rate of Return (IRR) .............................................................................. 174
9.4.4.3 The Payback Period................................................................................................ 174
9.4.4.4 Benefit- Cost Ratio................................................................................................. 175
9.4.5 Financial Analysis .................................................................................................. 175
9.4.5.1 Capital Costs ....................................................................................................... 176
9.4.5.2 Total Capital/Investment Costs .................................................................................. 176
9.4.5.3 Operating & Maintenance (O & M) Costs ........................................................................ 176
9.4.5.4 Electricity Production Costs....................................................................................... 177
9.4.5.5 Total Costs ......................................................................................................... 177
9.4.5.6 Benefits............................................................................................................. 177
9.4.5.7 Net Benefits or Net Cash Flows ................................................................................. 177
9.4.5.8 Discount Factors ................................................................................................... 177
9.4.5.9 Net Present Values ................................................................................................ 177
9.4.5.10 Cumulative Net Present Values ................................................................................... 178
9.4.5.11 Discounted Benefits And Costs ................................................................................... 178
9.4.5.12 Internal Rate Of Return (IRR) ................................................................................... 178
9.4.5.13 Benefit- Cost Ratio................................................................................................. 178
9.4.5.14 Assumptions ........................................................................................................ 178
9.4.5.15 Expected Results .................................................................................................. 179
9.5 Environmental Impact Assessment ............................................................................... 179
9.5.1 Major Environmental Issues....................................................................................... 179

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9.5.1.1 Physical/Biological.................................................................................................. 179
9.5.1.2 Social ............................................................................................................... 180
9.5.1.3 Economic ............................................................................................................ 180
9.5.2.1 Physical Impacts ................................................................................................... 181
9.5.2.2 Social Impacts ..................................................................................................... 182
9.5.2.3 Economic Impacts.................................................................................................. 183
APPENDIX I ..................................................................................................................... 184
APPENDIX II .................................................................................................................... 201
PREAMBLE
The Elect r icit y r ef or m pr ogr am in Zimbabwe has r esult ed in t wo Act s passed by

Par liament . These ar e t he Rur al Elect r if icat ion Fund Act (Chapt er : 13.20
5/ 2002) and t he Elect r icit y Act (Chapt er 13: 19 4/ 2002). The Rur al
Elect r if icat ion Fund Act r esult ed in t he f or mat ion of t he Rur al Elect r if icat ion
Agency, whose mandat e is t o spear head t he pr ovision of elect r icit y in r ur al
ar eas. The Elect r icit y Act passed by t he Par liament of Zimbabwe in J anuar y
2003 and gazet t ed on t he 23 rd May 2003 has led t o t he unbundling of ZESA t o
form ZESA Holdings Ltd., Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC), Zimbabwe Electricity
Tr ansmission Company (ZETCO), Zimbabwe Elect r icit y Dist r ibut ion Company
(ZEDC), ZESA Ent er pr ises and Power t el as well as t he est ablishment of
Zimbabwe Electricity Regulatory Commission (ZERC).
ZETCO is r esponsible f or t he r eliable and secur e t r ansmission of elect r ical

energy through:
Management and oper at ion of t he Zimbabwe s Tr ansmission and Sub-
transmission System Grid
Planning and development of the power transmission infrastructure
Local and regional trade facilitation (ZETCO is the single buyer of power)
Syst em planning and coor dinat ion of r egional int er connect ions t hr ough
SAPP
This maint ains t he placement of ZETCO as t he key t r ansmit t er of bulk power

bet ween gener at or s (ZPC & ot her s) and bulk consumer s (ZEDC, SAPP & ot her s)
of elect r ical ener gy t hr ough oper at ing and maint aining t he int er connect ed

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Tr ansmission Syst em (t he Gr id) consist ing of EHT lines and subst at ions.
ZETCO s r esponsibilit ies can be expanded int o t he f ollowing f unct ions: -
i. Coordinate the activities of all entities especially the operation and

development of the Grid and ensure fair access to all entities to the
Grid.
ii. Manage and control the Grid to ensure adequacy of supply. This entails
the preparation of Generation Schedules, monitoring and controlling the
output of various generating stations and receiving and dispatching power
from various Generators.
iii. On-Line (real-time) monitoring and control of the interconnected power
System.
iv. Deliver power that conforms to specified quality characteristics to
Distribution Systems at designated Connection Points
v. Carry out statutory functions under all Acts, Rules, Laws and Regulations
of the Government of Zimbabwe.
vi. Develop, maintain and implement the Technical Grid Code as approved by
ZERC.
vii. Responsibilities for administering Power Supply and Power Purchase
agreements on behalf of ZESA Holdings.
viii. Liaison with the Zimbabwe Electricity Regulatory Commission
(ZERC).
ix. Promoting power wheeling, pooling and banking
PURPOSE OF GRID CODE
ZETCO Technical Grid Code is a document approved by the Zimbabwe Electricity

Regulat or y Commission f or mulat ed in or der t o ensur e ef f icient coor dinat ed
oper at ion and maint enance of t he elect r icit y Gr id under t he r est r uct ur ed
envir onment . I t shall be a document agr eed upon and t o be complied wit h by
ZETCO, ZPC, ZEDC, dir ect ly connect ed HV consumer s, independent and
embedded gener at or s. The Gr id Code is a dynamic document t hat is r evised
per iodically as per t he pr ocedur es laid down, t aking int o account t he r easonable
int er est s and views as expr essed by t he st ake holding ent it ies in t he light of
the experience gained in the actual implementation of the Code.
OBJECTIVES OF THE GRID CODE
The objective of the technical Grid code is to promote sound planning,

operational and connection standards in a bid to provide for reliable, secure,
economic and coordinated operation of the ZETC transmission Grid. This will be
achieved through the following: -

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a) Specification of minimum operational standards
b) Specification of minimum technical requirements
c) Specification of information requirements and procedures
d) Governing the boundaries between ZETCO and users
e) Establishing minimum requirements for new entrants
f) St r eamlining r esponsibilit ies and obligat ions f or ZETCO and f or all
the users of the ZETCO transmission network
g) Est ablishment of r equir ement s f or t he development of t he ZETCO
Grid
CONTENT OF THE GRID CODE
The ZETCO Technical Grid Code consists of the following Sections:

Definitions
Governance of the Code
Grid Connection Code
Performance Standards Code
Planning Code
Operational Code
Metering Code
Protection Code
Information Exchange Code
Project Appraisal Framework

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DEFINITIONS
Amended Connection Agreement An agreement between a User and ZETCO (or

the Distributor), which specifies the terms and conditions pertaining to the
renovation or modification of the User System or Equipment at an existing
Connection Point in the Grid (or the Distribution System).
Active Power The time average of the instantaneous power over one period of
the electrical wave, measured in Watts (W) or multiples thereof. For AC circuits
or systems, it is the product of the root-mean-square (RMS) or effective value
of the voltage and RMS value of the in-phase component of the current. In a
three-phase system, it is the sum of active power of the individual phases.
Ancillary Service Support services such as Frequency Regulating and

Contingency Reserves, Reactive Power support, and Black Start capability which
are necessary to support the transmission capacity and Energy that are
essential in maintaining Power Quality and the Reliability and Security of the
Grid.
Apparatus All equipment in which electrical conductors are used, supported or

of which they may form part.
Apparent Power The product of the root-mean-square (RMS) or effective value

of the current and the root-mean-square value of the voltage. For AC circuits or
systems, it is the square root of the sum of the squares of the Active Power and
Reactive Power, measured in volt-ampere (VA) or multiples thereof.
Aut omat ic Generat ion Cont rol (AGC) The r egulat ion of t he power out put of
Gener at ing Unit s wit hin a pr escr ibed ar ea in r esponse t o a change in syst em
Fr equency, t ie-line loading, or t he r elat ion of t hese t o each ot her , so as t o
maintain the Syst em Fr equency or t he est ablished int er change wit h ot her ar eas
within the predetermined limits or both.
Automatic Load Shedding The process of automatically and deliberately

removing pre-selected Loads from a power System in response to an abnormal
condition in order to maintain the integrity of the System.
Automatic Re- closing A process used to interrupt power in the event of a fault
or short circuit, and then re-inst at e or r e-close t he power af t er a f ixed
interval of time, with the objective of maintaining continuity of service to the
greatest possible extent, without damaging equipment or creating unsafe
conditions in the system.

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Aut omat ic Volt age Regulat or or AVR A cont inuously act ing aut omat ic
excit at ion syst em t o cont r ol t he volt age of a gener at ing unit as measur ed at t he
generator terminals.
Availability The long-term average fraction of time that a Component or System

is in service and satisfactorily performing its intended function. Also, the
steady-state probability that a Component or System is in service.
Balanced Three- Phase Voltages Three sinusoidal voltages with equal frequency
and magnitude and displaced from each other in phase by an angle of 120
degrees.
Black Start The process of recovery from Total System Blackout using a
Generating Unit with the capability to start and synchronize with the System
without an external power supply.
Botswana Power Corporation (BPC) The electrical power utility for Botswana.
Bulk Supply Point A st ep down subst at ion f r om 330/ 420kV t o sub t r ansmission
and /or distribution voltage levels
Capability and Availability Declaration Refers to the data submitted by the

Generator for its Scheduled Generating Unit, which is used by ZETCO in
preparing the day-ahead Generation Schedule. It includes declaration of
capability and availability, Generation Scheduling and Dispatch Parameters
Circuit Breaker A mechanical switching device, which is capable of making,

carrying, and breaking current under normal circuit conditions and also capable
of making, carrying for a specified time, and breaking current under specified
abnormal circuit conditions, such as a short circuit.
Competent Person A person over eighteen (18) years, who has sufficient
technical knowledge and expertise to safely carry out specific tasks.
Complet ion Dat e The dat e, specif ied in t he Connect ion Agr eement or Amended
Connect ion Agr eement , when t he User Development is scheduled t o be
completed and be ready for connection to the Grid.
Component A piece of Equipment, a line or circuit, a section of line or circuit, or
a group of items, which is viewed as a unit for a specific purpose.
Connected Project Planning Data The data, which replaces the estimated values
that were assumed for planning purposes, with validated actual values

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Connect ion Agreement An agr eement bet ween a User and ZETCO (or t he
Dist r ibut or ), which specif ies t he t er ms and condit ions per t aining t o t he
connect ion of t he User Syst em or Equipment t o a new Connect ion Point in t he
Grid (or the Distribution System).
Connect ion Condit ions The t echnical condit ions t o be complied wit h by any user
having a connection to the Transmission System.
Connect ion Point The point of connect ion of t he User Syst em or Equipment t o
the Grid (for Users of the Grid) or to the Distribution System (for Users of the
Distribution System).
Connect ion Point Drawings The dr awings pr epar ed f or each Connect ion Point ,
which indicat e t he equipment layout , common pr ot ect ion and cont r ol, and
auxiliaries at the Connection Point.
Constrained Generation Schedule The Gener at ion Schedule pr epar ed by ZETCO

af t er consider ing oper at ional const r aint s, including t he Gr id const r aint s,
changes in Gener at ing Unit Declar ed Dat a and par amet er s, and changes in
forecasted data.
Contingency Planning A Planning Criteria that a system should meet under faulty
conditions
Cont ingency Reserve Gener at ing Capacit y t hat is int ended t o t ake car e of t he
loss of t he lar gest Synchr onized Gener at ing Unit or t he power impor t f r om a
single Gr id int er connect ion, whichever is lar ger . Cont ingency Reser ve includes
Spinning Reserve and Backup Reserve.
Cont rol Cent re A f acilit y used f or monit or ing and cont r olling t he oper at ion of
the Grid, Distribution System, or a User System.
Controller A senior aut hor ised per son appoint ed in wr it ing by ZETCO, t o cont r ol
power in t he t r ansmission and sub-t r ansmission gr id, and whose dut ies ar e t o
maintain safety at all times to personnel, plant and equipment.
Customer Any per son/ ent it y supplied wit h elect r ic ser vice under a cont r act wit h
a Distributor or Supplier.
Demand The Active Power and/or Reactive Power at a given instant or averaged
over a specified interval of time, that is actually delivered or is expected to be
delivered by an electrical Equipment or supply System. It is expressed in Watts
(W) and/or VARs and multiples thereof.

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Demand Control The reduction in Demand for the control of the Frequency when
the Grid is in an Emergency State. This includes Automatic Load Shedding,
Manual Load Shedding, demand reduction upon instruction by ZETCO, demand
disconnection initiated by Users and Voluntary Load Curtailment.
Demand Forecast The projected Demand and Active Energy related to a

Connection Point in the Grid.
Derogation of the Grid A condition resulting from a User Development or a

Grid expansion project that has a Material Effect on the Grid or the System of
other Users and which can be verified through Grid Impact Studies.
Detailed Planning Data Additional data, which the Grid Owner requires, for the
conduct of a more accurate Grid planning study
Dispatch The process of issuing direct instructions to the electric power

industry participants by the ZETCO to achieve an economic operation while
maintaining Power Quality, Stability, and the Reliability and Security of the
Grid.
Dispat ch I nst ruct ion An inst r uct ion by ZETCO Cont roller t o gener at or s t o
dispat ch gener at ion and t o ZEDC t o r egulat e wit hdr awal in accor dance wit h t he
Scheduling & Dispatch procedure.
Disconnection The opening of an electrical circuit to isolate an electrical System

or Equipment from a power source.
Dispatch The process of apportioning the total Demand of the Grid through the
issuance of Dispatch Instructions to the Scheduled Generating Units and the
Generating Units providing Ancillary Services in order to achieve the operational
requirements of balancing Demand with generation that will ensure the Security
of the Grid.
Dispatch Instruction Refers to the instruction issued by ZETCO to the

Generators with Scheduled Generating Units and the Generators whose
Generating Units will provide Ancillary Services to implement the final
Generation Schedule in real time.
Distribution Code The set of rules, requirements, procedures, and standards

governing ZEDC and Users of Distribution System in the operation, maintenance
and development of the Distribution System. It also defines and establishes the
relationship of the Distribution System with the facilities or installations of the

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parties connected thereto.
Dist ribut ion of Elect ricit y The conveyance of elect r ic power by a Dist r ibut ion
Utility through its Distribution System.
Dist ribut ion Syst em The syst em of elect r ic lines and elect r ical equipment at
volt age levels of 88 kV and 132 kV in Har ar e and Bulawayo and 33 kV and lower
in other areas.
Dynamic I nst abilit y A condit ion t hat occur s when small undamped oscillat ions
begin wit hout any appar ent cause because t he Gr id is oper at ing t oo close t o an
unstable condition.
Eart h Fault Fact or The r at io of t he highest RMS phase-to-gr ound power

Fr equency volt age on a sound phase, at a select ed locat ion, dur ing a f ault t o
gr ound af f ect ing one or mor e phases, t o t he RMS phase-to-gr ound power
Frequency voltage that would be obtained at the selected location with the fault
removed.
Elect rical Diagram A schemat ic r epr esent at ion, using st andar d elect r ical
symbols, which shows t he connect ion of Equipment or power Syst em Component s
to each other or to external circuits.
Elect ricit y Act A gazet t ed act of par liament det ailing t he power sect or set up
and obligations.
Elect ricit y Supply Syst em The combinat ion of t he Tr ansmission Syst em,
distribution system and power stations.
Embedded Generat ing Plant A Gener at ing Plant t hat is connect ed t o a

Dist r ibut ion Syst em or t he Syst em of any User and has no dir ect connect ion t o
the Grid.
Embedded Generat ing Unit A Gener at ing unit wit hin an Embedded Gener at ing
Plant.
Embedded Generat or A per son or ent it y t hat gener at es elect r icit y using an
Embedded Generating Plant.
End- User A per son or ent it y t hat r equir es t he supply and deliver y of elect r icit y
for its own use.
Equipment All appar at us, machines, conduct or s, et c. used as par t of , or in

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connection with, an electrical installation.
Equipment Earthing This is the connecting to earth of the non-current carrying

metal parts. These include the motor body, switchgear structure, transformer
core and tank, sheaths of cables and body of all portable equipment.
Equipment I dent if icat ion The Syst em of number ing or nomenclat ur e f or t he

identification of Equipment at the Connection Points in the Grid.
Event An unscheduled or unplanned occur r ence of an abr upt change or

dist ur bance in a power Syst em due t o f ault , Equipment Out age, or Adver se
Weather Condition.
Fault Clearance Time The t ime int er val f r om f ault incept ion unt il t he end of
the arc extinction by the Circuit Breaker.
Fault Level The expect ed cur r ent , expr essed in kA t hat will f low int o a shor t
circuit at a specified point in the Grid or System.
Fixed Asset Boundary Document A document cont aining inf or mat ion and which
def ines t he oper at ional r esponsibilit ies f or t he Equipment at t he Connect ion
Point.
Flicker A small change in line volt age, which causes a per cept ible change in t he
int ensit y of elect r ic light s. I n some sit uat ions people can det ect sags as low as a
third of a volt.
Forced Out age An Out age t hat r esult s f r om emer gency condit ions dir ect ly
associat ed wit h a Component , r equir ing t hat it be t aken out of ser vice
immediat ely, eit her aut omat ically or as soon as swit ching oper at ions can be
per f or med. Also, an Out age caused by human er r or or t he impr oper oper at ion of
Equipment.
Frequency The number of complet e cycles of a sinusoidal cur r ent or volt age per
unit time, usually measured in cycles per second or Hertz
Frequency Cont rol A st r at egy used by ZETCO t o maint ain t he Fr equency of t he

Gr id wit hin t he limit s pr escr ibed by t he Gr id Code by t he t imely use of
Frequency Regulating Reserve, Contingency Reserve, and Demand Control.
Frequency Regulat ing Reserve Ref er s t o a Gener at ing Unit t hat assist s in
Fr equency Cont r ol by pr oviding aut omat ic Pr imar y and/ or Secondar y Fr equency
response.

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Frequency Variat ion The deviat ion of t he f undament al Syst em Fr equency f r om
its nominal value.
Generat ing Plant A f acilit y, consist ing of one or mor e Gener at ing Unit s, wher e
elect r ic Ener gy is pr oduced f r om some ot her f or m of Ener gy by means of a
suitable apparatus.
Generating Unit A conversion apparatus including auxiliaries and associated

Equipment, functioning as a single unit, which is used to produce electric Energy
from some other form of Energy.
Generat ion Company Any per son or ent it y aut hor ized by t he ZERC t o oper at e a
facility used in the Generation of Electricity.
Generat ion of Elect ricit y The pr oduct ion of elect r icit y by a Gener at ion
Company.
Generation Schedule Ref er s t o t he schedule t hat indicat es t he hour ly out put of

the Scheduled Generating Units and the list of Generating Units
Generat ion Scheduling and Dispat ch Paramet ers Ref er s t o t he t echnical dat a
per t aining t o t he Scheduled Gener at ing Unit s, which ar e t aken int o account in
the preparation of the Generation Schedule. Generator.
Grid The high volt age backbone Syst em of int er connect ed t r ansmission and
subt r ansmission lines, subst at ions, and r elat ed f acilit ies f or t he pur pose of
conveyance of bulk power . Also known as t he Tr ansmission and Sub Tr ansmission
System.
Grid Code The set of r ules, r equir ement s, pr ocedur es, and st andar ds t o ensur e
t he saf e, r eliable, secur ed and ef f icient oper at ion, maint enance, and
development of t he high volt age backbone Tr ansmission Syst em and it s r elat ed
facilities.
Grid Cont ingencies Abnor mal oper at ing condit ions br ought about by t r ipping of
generating units, t r ansmission lines, t r ansf or mer s or abr upt load changes or by
a combinat ion of t he above leading t o abnor mal volt age and/ or f r equency
excursions and/or overloading of network equipment.
Grid Dist urbance Grid Dist ur bance is t he sit uat ion wher e disint egr at ion and
collapse of gr id eit her in par t or f ull t ake place in an unplanned and abr upt
manner, affecting the power supply in a large area of the region.

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Grid I mpact St udies A set of t echnical st udies which ar e used t o assess t he
possible ef f ect s of a pr oposed expansion, r einf or cement , or modif icat ion of t he
Grid or a User Development and to evaluate Significant Incidents.
Grid Owner The par t y t hat owns t he high volt age backbone Tr ansmission
Syst em and is r esponsible f or maint aining adequat e Gr id capacit y in accor dance
with the provisions of the Grid Code.
Grid User Any per son and/ or ent it y connect ed dir ect ly t o t he ZETCO Gr id, who
shall comply with the provision of this Grid Code
Grounding A conduct ing connect ion by which an elect r ical cir cuit or Equipment is
connect ed t o ear t h or t o some conduct ing body of r elat ively lar ge ext ent t hat
serves as ground.
Harmonics Sinusoidal voltages and currents having frequencies that are integral
multiples of the fundamental frequency
High Voltage (HV) Any voltage level exceeding 0.65kV.
IEC Standard The international standard for electro-technical Equipment

approved and published by the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC).
I ndependent Power Producer (I PP) I ndependent Power Pr oducer being a power

st at ion wit hin t he ZESA cont r ol ar ea, owned by a gener at or who is not par t of
ZPC.
Interconnections Elect r ic lines and elect r ical equipment used f or t he

t r ansmission of elect r icit y bet ween t he Zimbabwe Tr ansmission Syst em and t he
Transmission System of another country.
I nt erconnect ed Transmission Syst em The combinat ion of HV elect r ic lines and

electrical equipment directly linked with ZETCO Transmission System and owned
or operated by ZPC, ZEDC, ESKOM, EDM, ZESCO and BPC.
Interruption The loss of service to a Customer or a group of Customers or other

facilities
Interruption Duration The period from the initiation of an Interruption up to

the time when electric service is restored.
I sland Grid A Gener at ing Plant or a gr oup of Gener at ing Plant s and it s
associat ed load, which is isolat ed f r om t he r est of t he Gr id but is capable of

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generating and maint aining a st able supply of elect r icit y t o t he Cust omer s wit hin
the isolated area.
Isolation The elect r ical separ at ion of a par t or Component f r om t he r est of t he

electrical Syst em t o ensur e saf et y when t hat par t or Component is t o be
maintained or when electric service is not required.
Limit at ion of Access Saf et y document at ion t o f acilit at e wor k in gener at ion,
swit ching or subst at ion plant , def ining limit s of t he ar ea wit hin which wor k is t o
be performed.
Live Line Permit t o Work (LLPW) A saf et y document t o f acilit at e wor k on live
lines
Load Crash Sudden or r apid r educt ion of elect r ical load connect ed t o a syst em
t hat could be caused due t o t r ipping of maj or t r ansmission line(s), f eeder (s),
power transformer(s) or natural causes like rain etc.
Load Factor The ratio of the total Energy delivered during a given period to the
product of the maximum Demand and the number of hours during the same
period.
Load Reduction The condition in which a Scheduled Generating Unit has reduced
or is not delivering electrical power to the System to which it is synchronized.
Local Saf et y I nst ruct ions A set of inst r uct ions r egar ding t he Saf et y
Pr ecaut ions on HV or EHV Equipment t o ensur e t he saf et y of per sonnel car r ying
out work or testing on the Grid or the User System.
Loss of Load Probability (LOLP) The expected number of days in a specified

period in which the daily peak Demand will exceed the available generating
capacity
Main Distribution Frame (MDF) An interface panel for process signals
Maximum Cont inuous Rat ing (MCR) The nor mal r at ed f ull load MW out put
capacit y of a gener at ing unit , which can be sust ained on a cont inuous basis under
specified conditions.
Manual Load Shedding The process of manually and deliberately removing pre-
selected Loads from a power System, in response to an abnormal condition, and
in order to maintain the integrity of the System.

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Nat ional Cont rol Cent re (NCC) The ZETCO' s cont r ol r oom f or 24 hour r eal
t ime power Syst em monit or ing and cont r ol f or t he pur pose of managing t he
operation of the power System and co-ordination of generation and consumption.
Negative Sequence Unbalance Factor The ratio of the magnitude of the

negative sequence component of the voltages to the magnitude of the positive
sequence component of the voltages, expressed in percent.
Power Swing Variation in power, which occur, when the voltages of generators
at different points of a power system slip relative to each other.
Outage The state of a Component when it is not available to perform its

intended function due to some event directly associated with that Component.
An Outage may or may not cause an Interruption of service to Customers.
Outage Duration The period from the initiation of the Outage until the
affected Component or its replacement becomes available to perform its
intended function.
Over Voltage A long duration RMS voltage variation at least 10 percent greater
than the nominal voltage for a period of time greater than one minute.
Planned Out age An out age of power st at ion equipment or t r ansmission f acilit y
that has been planned and agreed on in advance.
Peak Period That per iod in a day when elect r ical demand is at it s highest .
Project Planning Data The data pertaining to a User Development once the
offer for a Connection Agreement or an Amended Connection Agreement is
accepted.
PTW (Permit t o Work) Saf et y document at ion issued t o f acilit at e wor k on dead
(de-energised) and isolated equipment.
Point of Isolation The point on the Grid or the User System at which Isolation
can be established for safety purposes.
Power Factor The ratio of Active Power to Apparent Power.
Power Line Carrier (PLC) A communication Equipment used for transmitting

data signals through the use of power transmission lines.

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Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) The commer cial agr eement bet ween a
Generator and ZETCO in which, subject to certain conditions, ZETCO agrees to
pur chase t he elect r ical out put of t he gener at ing unit and t he gener at or agrees
to provide services from this Unit.
Power Supply Agreement The commer cial agr eement bet ween t he ZETCO and
other Grid Users for the supply of electric power.
Power St at ion An inst allat ion of one or mor e gener at ing unit s owned and/ or
operated by the same generation company.
Power Syst em Plant and equipment on t he gener at ion, t r ansmission and

distribution networks.
PowerTel Subsidiar y Company of ZESA Holdings (Pvt ) Lt d r esponsible f or

Telecommunication Services
Preliminary Project Planning Data The data relating to a proposed User
development at the time the User applies for a Connection Agreement or an
Amended Connection Agreement.
Reactive Power The component of electrical power representing the alternating

exchange of stored Energy (inductive or capacitive) between sources and loads
or between two systems, measured in VAR or multiples thereof. For AC circuits
or systems, it is the product of the RMS value of the voltage and the RMS value
of the quadrature component of the alternating current. In a three-phase
system, it is the sum of the Reactive Power of the individual phases.
REA Rural Electrification Agency
Reliability The pr obabilit y t hat a Syst em or Component will per f or m a r equir ed

t ask or mission f or a specif ied t ime in a specif ied envir onment . I t is t he abilit y
of a power System to continuously provide service to its Customers.
Remot e Terminal Unit (RTU) Tele-cont r ol equipment inst alled at a r emot e

locat ion t o gat her pr ocess inf or mat ion and cont r ols t he pr ocess as dir ect ed by
the central system.
Resistance Earthing This is the connection of the neutral point to earth

through a resistor.
Resonant Earthing This is the connection to earth through a reactance of such

a value that power frequency current in the neutral to ground connection is

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almost equal and opposite to power frequency capacitance current between un
faulted line and earth.
Root Mean Square (RMS Voltage or RMS Current) - The AC value that
produces the same heating effect in a resistor, as would a DC value of the same
magnitude.
Safety Precautions Refers to the Isolation and Grounding of HV or EHV

Equipment when work or testing is to be done on the Grid or User System.
Safety Rules The rules that seek to safeguard personnel working on the Grid
(or User System) from the hazards arising from the Equipment or the Grid (or
User System).
Sanction for Test Safety documentation to facilitate testing of the high

voltage plant and equipment
Security The continuous operation of a power System in the Normal State,
ensuring safe and adequate supply of power to End-Users, even when some parts
or Components of the System are on Outage.
Senior Authorised Person (SAP) A competent person appointed in writing by

ZETCO to carry out work and all forms of switching on the ZETCO Grid in
accordance with his certificate of authorisation.
Short- term Flicker Severity Index (Pst) A measure of visual severity of

flicker derived from a time series output of a flicker meter over a ten-minute
period
Shut Down The condit ion of a Gener at ing Unit wher e it is at r est or on bar r ing
gear isolat ed f r om gr id or t r ansmission f acilit y, which is at r est or isolat ed
from Grid.
Single Outage Contingency An Event caused by the failure of one Component of

the Grid including a Generating Unit, transmission line, or a transformer.
Site Refers to a substation or switchyard in the Grid or the User System where
the Connection Point is situated.
Spinning Reserve Unused gener at ing capacit y, which is synchr onised t o t he

Syst em and is r eady t o inst ant aneously pr ovide incr eased gener at ion at shor t
notice in response to Frequency drop.
Southern Africa Power Pool (SAPP) A regional power network in Southern

Africa created with the primary aim of providing reliable and economical

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electricity supply to the consumers of each of the SAPP members, consistent
with the reasonable utilisation of natural resources and the effect on the
environment through regional interconnection and harmonisation of operational
procedures.
Substation Control System (SCS) The combination of transducers,

communication links and data processing systems which provides information to
the substation on the operational state of the substation equipment.
Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) The combination of

transducers, RTU, communication links and data processing systems which
provides information to the NCC and or SCS on the operational state of the
power system.
Supplier Any person or entity authorized by the ZERC to sell, broker, market,
or aggregate electricity to the End-users.
Synchronised The state when connected Generating Units and/or

interconnected AC Systems operate at the same frequency and where the phase
angle displacements between their voltages vary about a stable operating point.
System Refers to the Grid or Distribution System or any User System. Also a
group of Components connected or associated in a fixed configuration to
perform a specified function
System Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI) The average forced

sustained interruption duration per customer served per year (measured in
minutes)
Syst em Average I nt errupt ion Frequency I ndex (SAI FI ) The aver age number
of f or ced sust ained int er r upt ions exper ienced per cust omer ser ved per year
(measured in outages).
Syst em Eart hing This is t he int ent ional connect ion of neut r al point t o gr ound so
t hat is t he neut r al point is ear t hed, t he phase t o gr ound volt ages under Ear t h
Fault conditions do not rise to high value.
System Loss The total Energy injected into the Grid (or the Distribution
System) minus the total Energy delivered to Distributors and End-Users. In the
Grid Code, it is the Energy injected into the Grid by Generating Plants, plus (or
minus) the Energy transported through Grid interconnections minus the total
Energy delivered to Distributors and End-Users. In the Distribution Code, it is
the Energy received from the Grid plus internally generated Energy by
Embedded Generating Plants, plus (or minus) the Energy transported by other

ZIMBABWE GRID CODE
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Distributors minus the total Energy delivered to End-Users.
System Test The set of tests, which involve simulating conditions or the
controlled application of unusual or extreme conditions that may have an impact
on the Grid or the User System.
System Test Coordinator A person who is appointed as the chairman of the

System Test Group.
System Test Group A group established for the purpose of coordinating the
System Test to be carried out on the Grid or the User System.
System Test Procedure A procedure that specifies the switching sequence and
proposed timing of the switching sequence, including other activities deemed
necessary and appropriate by the System Test Group in carrying out the System
Test.
System Test Proponent Refers to the ZETCO or the User who plans to
undertake a
System Test and who submits a System Test Request to ZETCO.
System Test Program A program prepared by the System Test Group, which
contains the plan for carrying out the System Test, the System Test Procedure,
including the manner in which the System Test is to be monitored, the allocation
of costs among the affected parties, and other matters that the System Test
Group had deemed appropriate and necessary.
System Test Report A report prepared by the Test Proponent at the conclusion
of a System Test for submission to ZETCO (if it is not the System Test
Proponent), the affected Users, and the members of the System Test Group.
System Test Request A notice submitted by the System Test Proponent to

ZETCO indicating the purpose, nature, and procedures for carrying out the
proposed System Test.
Synchronised The condit ion wher e an incoming gener at ing unit or Syst em is
connect ed t o anot her Syst em so t hat t he volt age, f r equencies and phase
r elat ionships of t hat gener at ing unit or Syst em, as t he case may be, and t he
System to which it is connected are identical.
Target Clearance Time The time between relay pick up time and the time the
fault is cleared
Technical Loss The component of System Loss that is inherent in the physical
delivery of electric Energy. It includes conductor loss, transformer core loss,

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and technical errors in meters.
Tele- protection The use of t elecommunicat ion channels t o oper at e pr ot ect ion
r elays t hr ough command signals, so as t o enable t he r elays t o select ively isolat e
f ault s wit hin t he shor t est possible t ime and independent of f ault locat ion and
system conditions.
Teleprotection Security The ability to prevent interference and or noise from
generating a trip command at the receiving end when such a command has not
been transmitted.
Teleprotection Dependability The ability to issue a valid command at the

receiving end in the presence of interference and or noise when such command
has been transmitted.
Teleprot ect ion Transmission Time The t ime elapsed bet ween t he moment of
change of st at e at t he t r ansmit t er command input and t he moment of change of
state at the receiver command output.
Test and Commissioning Putting into service a System or Equipment that has
passed all required tests to show that the System or Equipment was erected and
connected in the proper manner and can be expected to work satisfactorily.
Total Demand Distortion (TDD) The ratio of the root-mean-square value of the
harmonic content to the root-mean-square value of the rated or maximum
demand fundamental quantity, expressed in percent.
Total Harmonic Distortion (THD) The ratio of the root-mean-square value of

the harmonic content to the root-mean-square value of the fundamental
quantity, expressed in percent.
Total System Blackout The condition when all generation in the Grid has
ceased, the entire System has Shutdown, and the ZETCO must implement a
Black Start to restore the Grid to its Normal State.
Transformer An electrical device or Equipment that converts voltage and

current from one level to another.
Transient A ver y br ief excur sion f r om nominal volt age wit h dur at ions of a
micr osecond (milliont hs of a second) t o sever al hundr ed micr oseconds.
Transients are classified as impulsive or oscillatory.
Transient I nst abilit y A condit ion t hat occur s when undamped oscillat ions
bet ween par t s of t he Gr id r esult in Gr id separ at ion. Such Gr id dist ur bances may
occur after a fault and the loss of Generating Units and/or transmission lines.

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Transient Volt ages High-f r equency Over volt ages caused by light ning, swit ching
of capacit or banks or cables, cur r ent chopping, ar cing gr ound f ault s,
ferroresonance, and other related phenomena.
Trough Period That per iod in a day when elect r ical demand is at it s lowest .
Unconstrained Generation Schedule The Generation Schedule without

considering any operational constraints such as the Grid constraints, changes in
Generating Unit Declared Data and parameters, and changes in forecasted data.
Underfrequency Relay (UFR). An electrical relay that operates when the

System Frequency decreases to a preset value.
Under Voltage A long duration RMS voltage variation at least 10 percent below
the normal (nominal) voltage for a period of time greater than one minute.
Voltage Sag - A decrease of 10 to 90% in the RMS voltage at the power

frequency for durations of one-half cycle to 1 minute
Volt age Swell - A t empor ar y incr ease in t he RMS value of volt age of mor e t han
10% at the power frequency, for durations from one-half cycle to 1 minute.
User A person or entity that uses the Grid or Distribution System and related
facilities. Also, a person or entity to whom the Grid Code or Distribution Code
applies.
User System Refers to a System owned or operated by a User of the Grid or

Distribution System.
Visit or s Live Line Enclosure Permit (VLEP) A safety document signed by

visitors acknowledging the dangers of entering a live line enclosure and
indemnifying ZETCO against injury, whilst they are in the live enclosure.
Voltage The electromotive force or electric potential difference between two

points, which causes the flow of electric current in an electric circuit.
Voltage Control The strategy used by ZETCO, Distributors, or User to maintain

the voltage of the Grid, Distribution System, or the User System within the
limits prescribed by the Grid Code or the Distribution Code.
Voltage Fluctuation The systematic variation of the voltage envelope or random

amplitude changes where the RMS values of voltage is between 90% and 100%

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Voltage Instability A condition that results in Grid voltages that is below the
level where voltage control Equipment can return them to the normal level. In
many cases, the problem is compounded by excessive Reactive Power loss.
Voltage Variation The deviation of the root-mean-square (RMS) value of the

voltage from its nominal value, expressed in percent.
Wheeling Charge Refers to the tariff paid for the conveyance of electric Power
and Energy through the Grid.
ZEDC Zimbabwe Electricity Distribution Company
ZERC Zimbabwe Electricity Regulatory Commission
ZETCO Zimbabwe Electricity Transmission Company
ZPC Zimbabwe Power Company.

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SECTION 1
GOVERNANCE OF THE CODE
1.1 Introduction
Under the terms of the Electricity Act Chapter 13:19 4/2002 the
Transmission and Bulk Supply Licensee (ZETCO) is required to implement
and ensure compliance to the Grid Code and to periodically review the
same and its implementation. Such review shall be subject to approval by
ZERC.
1.2 Objective
The objective of this Code is to define the method of managing the Grid
Code, submitting and pursuing of any proposed changes to the Grid Code
and the responsibility of all Users to effect that change.
1.3 Responsibilities
ZETCO will be responsible for managing and servicing the Grid Code, for
discharging its obligations under the License. In this regard, ZETCO shall
establish the Grid Code Review Panel and service the requirements of
such a Panel.
1.4 Grid Code Review Panel
The Panel shall be chaired by ZETCO and shall consist of the following
members:
Chairman to be nominated by ZETCO

Member Secretary to be nominated by ZETCO
One Member from ZPC
One Member from ZEDC
One member from ZERC
One Member from each licensed generator connected to the Grid
Two Members from large users directly connected to the Grid
One Member appointed by IPPs and Embedded Generators
Members of the Grid Code Review Panel shall possess relevant technical
skills and shall be subject to approval by ZERC. ZERC shall be
immediately informed of changes in the composition of the Grid Code
Review Panel and shall approve such changes.

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For continuity purposes, membership of individuals from above entities
shall be permanent and any changes of member representation by entities
shall be communicated in writing to ZERC within thirty (30) days.
ZETCO shall provide the secretarial functions of the Grid Code Review
Panel. In this regard, ZETCO shall designate an appropriate official to
coordinate the activities of the Grid Code Review Panel to ensure
compliance to the Grid Code, its revisions and amendments. Zimbabwe
Electricity Regulation Commission (ZERC) shall approve the Grid Code and
all the amendments and ensure compliance.
1.5 Standing Committees to deal with specific issues
The Grid Code Review Panel can at its discretion form standing
committees to deliberate and recommend on specific issues.
The Grid Code Review Panel, at their discretion, shall invite at their
meetings, Chairmen of each of the Standing Committees concerned with
particular items on their Agendas. The Chairman of a Standing Committee
may delegate a representative from the Standing Committee to take part
in the discussion.
The Panel, at their discretion, may invite representatives from

Consultants and/or any other Organization such as Government
Departments, Local Authorities, Railways, Telecommunications, Standard
Association of Zimbabwe, Financing Institutions or academic / technical
institutions, to attend the Panel Meeting depending on the Agenda. Such
invited members can express or offer advice on the matter under
consideration but some act as observers in the final determination.
1.6 Grid Code Review Panel Rules
The rules to be followed by the Panel in conducting its business shall be

formulated by the Panel itself and shall be approved by ZERC. The Panel
will meet at least once in three months.
No revision or modification of the Grid Code shall be made without

knowledge of the Grid Code Review Panel and ZERC approval.
I n an unusual situation where normal day-to-day operation is not possible

without revision of some clauses of the Grid Code, a provisional revision
may be implemented before approval of ZERC is received, but only after
discussion by the Grid Code Review Panel through a Meeting convened on

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emergency basis. ZERC should promptly be intimated about the
provisional revision in writing and approve the revisions within fourteen
(14) days from the date of notification by the Grid Code Review Panel.
ZERC may issue directions requiring ZETCO to revise the Grid Code in
such a manner as may be specified in those directions, and ZETCO shall
promptly comply with any such directions through the Grid Code Review
Panel.
1.7 Functions of the Grid Code Review Panel
The functions of the Panel are as follows:
1. To keep the Grid Code and its workings under continuous scrutiny and
review.
2. To analyse any major Grid disturbances soon after the occurrence as
recommended by ZETCO or any other user, and evolve any consequent
revision to the Grid Code.
3. To consider all requests for amendment to the Grid Code which are
proposed by the Users.
4. To publish recommendations for changes to the Grid Code together
with the reasons for the changes and any objections, if applicable.
5. To issue guidance on the interpretations and implementation of the
Grid Code
6. To examine problems raised by Users.
ZETCO may hold sub-meetings with a User to discuss individual

requirements and with a group of Users to prepare proposals for the
Panel meeting.
1.8 Grid Code Review and Revisions Procedures
The Member Secretary shall present all proposed revisions of the Grid
Code to the Review Panel for its consideration.
ZETCO shall send the following reports to the ZERC at the conclusion of
each review meeting of the Panel.
1. A report on the outcome of such review.

2. Any proposed revisions to the Grid Code as ZETCO reasonably
thinks necessary for achievement of the objectives referred to in
the relevant paragraph of the Transmission & Bulk Supply License.

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3. All written representations or objections from Users raised
during the review.
All revisions to the Grid Code shall require approval of ZERC. ZETCO
shall publish revisions to the Grid Code, once approved by the ZERC.
Every change from the previous Version shall be clearly marked in the
margin. In addition, a revision sheet shall be placed at the front of the
Revised Version noting the number of every changed sub-section,
together with a brief statement of change.
ZETCO shall keep an up-to-date list of the recipients and locations of all
serviced copies of the Grid Code.
1.9 Disputes
The Grid Code Review Panel shall handle disputes regarding
interpretation of the Grid Code Code. If one or both parties are not
satisfied with the ruling of the Panel the matter shall be referred to
ZERC whose decision is final.
1.9.1 Dispute pertaining to issues not covered by the Grid Code
Any technical relevant issues not covered by the Grid Code shall be
referred to the Grid Code Review Panel for further consideration for
inclusion in t he Gr id Code. The Gr id Code Review Panel s r uling on such
issues shall be binding. If any party is not satisfied by the ruling of the
Grid Code Review Panel, the matter shall be referred to ZERC. The
decision of ZERC shall be final and binding.
1.9.2 Continuity of Functioning of Grid Users
Af t er a disput e ar ises bet ween ent it ies, t he mat t er should immediat ely be
r ef er r ed t o t he Gr id Code Review Panel who should make pr ovisional
wor king ar r angement s t hat shall be implement ed t ill a valid r uling is issued
accor ding t o Sect ion 1.9.2 above. The obj ect ive of t his pr ocedur e is t o
ensure that no dispute shall stall the daily operations of any Grid User .
1.9.3 Unforeseen Circumstances
I n sit uat ions not addr essed by any clause of t he Gr id Code, ZETCO shall
convene an emer gency meet ing wit h all af f ect ed Gr id User s t o f or mulat e
a solut ion and t he act ions t o be t aken in t he cir cumst ance by t he Gr id
User s . I f no agr eement can be r eached, ZETCO shall pr ovisionally

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det er mine t he act ion t o be t aken af t er giving consider at ion t o t he views
expressed by other Users.
ZETCO shall, as soon as possible, but not lat er t han f our t een days, r ef er
t he mat t er t o t he Gr id Code Review Panel whose decision shall prevail
over t he pr ovisional det er minat ion of ZETCO. I f a Gr id User appeals t o
ZERC over t he decision of t he Panel, t he decision of ZERC shall
supersede the decision of the Panel.
The nor mal oper at ions of any User should never be disr upt ed by any
situation or disput e. The maj or it y decision of t he meet ing of Gr id User s
or t he consider ed det er minat ion of ZETCO shall be implement ed unless
and unt il t he Gr id Code Review Panel issues a dif f er ent r uling; and t he
ruling of the Panel shall be in force unless and until a different decision is
issued by ZERC (if t he issue is r ef er r ed t o ZERC). The decision of ZERC
is ultimate and shall be implemented by all Grid Users
SECTION 2
GRID CONNECTION CODE
2.1 Introduction
This Gr id Code is f or t he pr ot ect ion of t he Tr ansmission Syst em and User s

Plant and Appar at us dir ect ly connect ed t o t he Tr ansmission Syst em. I n or der
t o maint ain st able and secur e oper at ion of t he Tr ansmission Syst em f or t he
benef it of all User s, it is necessar y t o r equir e cer t ain minimum t echnical, design
and oper at ional cr it er ia t o be met by User s Plant and Appar at us. The Gr id
Connect ion Requir ement s est ablish cer t ain pr inciples and st andar ds r elat ing t o
met hod of connect ion, t echnical st andar ds, per f or mance st andar ds, and dat a
requir ement s. Connect ion Point . I n addit ion t o t he Connect ion Requir ement s,
t her e ar e Connect ion Agr eement s, which ar e bilat er al bet ween ZETCO and each
user and which cont ain t he det ail specif ic t o each User s connect ion t o t he
Tr ansmission Syst em Gr id. Such agr eement s bet ween t he User and ZETCO shall
comply with the Grid Code.
2.1.1 Purpose
The purpose of the Grid connection requirements is:
a) To specif y t he t echnical, design, and oper at ional cr it er ia at t he User s

Connection Point

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b) To ensur e t hat basic r ules f or connect ion t o t he Gr id or t o a User
system are fair and non discriminatory for all Users
c) To ensur e t hat any new connect ion shall not impose any adver se
effects on existing Users
d) To ensur e t hat new connect ions shall not suf f er adver sely due t o
existing Users
e) To assist User s in t he maint enance of accept able r eliabilit y and
qualit y levels t hr ough specif icat ion of minimum design and oper at ional
criteria.
f) To list and collat e dat a r equir ed by ZETCO f r om all User s and t o list
data to be provided by ZETCO from each User
2.1.2 Scope of Grid Connection Requirements
The Grid connection requirements shall apply to:

a) ZPC
b) ZETCO
c) ZEDC
d) Any other generator to be connected to ZETCO System
e) Any User cur r ent ly connect ed t o or int ending t o be connect ed t o
ZETCO System
f) Any ot her Tr ansmission Syst em wit hin or out side Zimbabwe
connected or intending to be connected to ZETCO system
g) Any provider of Ancillary Services to the Transmission System
ZERC shall monit or compliance t o all mat t ers covered by t his sect ion of t he
Grid Code and shall design and ef f ect appropriat e penalt ies f or enf orcing
compliance.
2.2 Grid Technical, Design and Operational Criteria
2.2.1 Power Quality Standards
2.2.1.1 ZETCO shall ensur e t hat at any Connect ion Point in t he Gr id, t he
power qualit y st andar ds specif ied in Sect ion 3 of t his Gr id Code ar e
complied with.
2.2.1.2 User s seeking connect ion t o t he Gr id or modif icat ion of any exist ing
connect ion shall ensur e t hat t heir equipment can oper at e r eliably and
safely within the limits specified in Section 3 of this Grid Code during
nor mal and emer gency condit ions and can wit hst and t he limit s
specified under this Section of the Grid Code.

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2.2.2 Frequency Variation
2.2.2.1 ZETCO Gr id r at ed f r equency shall be 50.0 Hz wit h a cont r ol r ange

wit hin t he st at ut or y r ange of 47.5Hz t o 52.5Hz. All loads and
generators connected to ZETCO Grid should be able to operate within
this range without being affected negatively.
2.2.2.2 I n emer gency oper at ing condit ions t he aut omat ic load shedding
scheme det ailed in Appendix I shall be under t aken accor ding t o r ules
specified in Section 4 of this Grid Code.
2.2.3 Voltage Variations
The Long Duration Voltage Variations at any Connection Point during

normal and emergency conditions shall be within the limits specified in
Section 3.3.2 of this Grid Code.
2.2.4 Harmonics
The Total Harmonic Distortion of the voltage and the Total Demand
Distortion of the current, at any Connection Point, shall not exceed
the limits prescribed in Section 3.3.3 of this Grid Code.
2.2.5 Voltage Unbalance
The maximum Zero and Negative Sequence Unbalance Factors at any

Connection Point in the Grid shall not exceed the limits specified in
Section 3.3.4 of this Grid Code, during normal and emergency
operating conditions.
2.2.6 Voltage Fluctuation and Flicker Severity
The Voltage Fluctuation at any Connection Point with a fluctuating

Demand shall not exceed the limits specified in Section 3.3.5 of this
Grid Code, during normal and emergency operation conditions.
2.2.7 Transient Voltage Variations
The Grid and the User System shall be designed and operated to
include devices that will mitigate the effects of transient over
voltages on the Grid and the User System. ZETCO and the User shall
take into account the effect of electrical transients when specifying
the insulation of their electrical Equipment.

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2.2.8 Grounding Requirements
The Grid shall be effectively grounded with an Earth Fault Factor of

less than 1.4. for all voltage levels connected to the Grid.
2.2.9 Equipment Standards
All Equipment at the Connection Point shall comply with the

requirements of the IEC Standards or their equivalent Zimbabwe
national standards.
2.3 Requirements for Grid Connection or Modification
Any user seeking to establish new or modified arrangements for

connection to and/or use of the Transmission System shall follow the
procedures laid out below.
2.3.1 Connection Agreement
2.3.1.1 Any User seeking use of the Transmission System must submit an
Application for connection to ZETCO using the application forms
available from ZETCO.
2.3.1.2 The connection agreement shall include the provisions for the
submission of information reports, safety rules, test and
commissioning programs, electrical diagrams, statement of readiness
to connect and any other requirements that may from time to time be
specified by ZETCO and/or ZERC.
2.3.2 Amended Connection Agreement
2.3.2.1 Any User seeking a modification of any existing connection to the

Grid shall secure the required amended connection agreement with
ZETCO prior to the actual modification of the existing connection to
the Grid.
2.3.2.2 The amended connection agreement shall include provisions for the
submission of additional information and reports required by ZETCO
and other requirements prescribed by the ZERC

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2.3.3 Grid Impact Studies
2.3.3.1 ZETCO shall develop and maintain a set of required technical planning
studies for evaluating the impact on the Grid of any proposed
connection or modification to an existing connection. These planning
studies shall be completed within 30 (thirty) calendar days.
2.3.3.2 ZETCO shall specify which of the planning studies described in
Section 4 of this Grid Code will be carried out to evaluate the impact
to the Grid of the proposed User Development.
2.3.3.3 The User shall indicate whether it wishes ZETCO to undertake
additional technical studies. The User shall shoulder the cost of the
additional technical studies.
2.3.3.4 Any User applying for connection or a modification of an existing

connection to the Grid shall take all necessary measures to ensure
that the proposed User Development will not result in the
Derogations of the Grid. ZETCO may disapprove an application for
connection or a modification to an existing connection, if the Grid
Impact Studies show that the proposed User Development will result
in the Derogation of the Grid.
2.3.3.5 To enable ZETCO to carry out the necessary detailed Grid Impact
Studies, the User is required to provide all the necessary Detailed
Planning Data, as prescribed by ZETCO from time to time, prior to
any connection
2.3.3.6 ZETCO shall maintain an up to date fault level database that should
be made available on request by Grid Users. ZETCO shall inform the
Grid User, if fault levels at a Connection Point are likely to impact
adver sely on t he User s Equipment connect ed t o t he Gr id.
2.3.4 Procedures for Application for Connection or Modification
2.3.4.1 ZETCO shall establish the procedures for the processing of

applications for connection or modification of an existing connection
to the Grid.
2.3.4.2 The User shall submit to ZETCO the completed application form for
connection or modification of an existing connection to the Grid. The
application form shall include the following information:
(a) A description of the proposed connection or modification to an

existing connection, which shall comprise the User Development at
the Connection Point;
(b) The relevant Standard Planning Data listed in Section 4 of this

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Grid Code and any other relevant data as prescribed by ZETCO
from time to time.
(c) The Completion Date of the proposed User Development.
2.3.4.3 The User shall submit t he planning dat a in t hr ee (3) st ages, accor ding
to their degree of commitment and data requirement as follows:
a) Preliminary Project Planning Data;
b) Committed Project Planning Data; and
c) Connected Project Planning Data.
2.3.5 Processing of Application
2.3.5.1 ZETCO shall process the application for connection or modification to

an existing connection within 30 (thirty) calendar days from the
submission of the completed application form.
2.3.5.2 After evaluating the application submitted by the User, ZETCO shall
inform the User whether the proposed User Development is
acceptable or not.
2.3.5.3 If the application of the User is acceptable, ZETCO and the User
shall sign a Connection Agreement or an Amended Connection
Agreement, as the case may be.
2.3.5.4 If the application of the User is not acceptable, ZETCO shall notify
the User why its application is not acceptable. ZETCO shall include in
its notification a proposal on how the User's application will be
acceptable to ZETCO.
2.3.5.5 The User shall accept the proposal of ZETCO within 90 (ninety)
calendar days after which the proposal automatically lapses.
2.3.5.6 The acceptance by the User of ZETCO's proposal shall lead to the
signing of a Connection Agreement or an Amended Connection
Agreement.
2.3.5.7 If ZETCO and the User cannot reach an agreement on the proposed
connection or modification to an existing connection, ZETCO or the
User may bring the matter before the ZERC for resolution.
2.3.6 Submittals Prior to the Commissioning Date
2.3.6.1 The following shall be submitted by the User prior to the

commissioning date, pursuant to the terms and conditions and
schedules specified in the Connection Agreement:

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a) Specifications of major Equipment not included in the Standard
Planning Data and Detailed Planning Data;
b) Details of the protection arrangements and settings referred to
in Section 7 of this Grid Code for Generating Units, Distributors
and other Grid Users;
c) Information to enable ZETCO to prepare the Fixed Asset
Boundary Document including the name(s) provisions of Article 2.6
of this Section
d) Electrical Diagrams of the User's Equipment at the Connection
Point as described in Article 2.7 of this Section;
e) I nf or mat ion t hat will enable ZETCO t o pr epar e t he Connect ion
Point Drawings, referred to in Article 2.8 of this Section;
f) Copies of all Safety Rules and Local Safety Instructions applicable
to the User's Equipment and a list of Safety Coordinators
g) A list of t he names and t elephone number s of aut hor ized
representatives, including t he conf ir mat ion t hat t hey ar e f ully
authorized to make binding decisions on behalf of the User.
h) Proposed Maintenance Program; and
i) Test and Commissioning pr ocedur es f or t he Connect ion Point and
the User Development.
2.3.7 Commissioning of Equipment and Physical Connection to the Grid
2.3.7.1 Upon complet ion of t he User Development , including wor k at t he

Connect ion Point , t he Equipment at t he Connect ion Point and t he User
Development shall be subj ect ed t o t he Test and Commissioning
procedures specified in Section 7 of this Grid Code.
2.3.7.2 The User shall t hen submit t o ZETCO a st at ement of r eadiness t o
connect, which shall include the Test and Commissioning reports.
2.3.7.3 Upon accept ance of t he User ' s st at ement of r eadiness t o connect ,
ZETCO shall, wit hin 15 (f if t een) wor king days, issue a cer t if icat e of
approval to connect.
2.3.7.4 The physical connect ion t o t he Gr id shall be made only af t er t he
cer t if icat e of appr oval t o connect has been issued by ZETCO t o t he
User.
2.4 Requirements For Large Generators
2.4.1 Requirements Relating to the Connection Point
2.4.1.1 The Generator's Equipment shall be connected to the Grid at the

voltage level(s) agreed to by ZETCO and the Generator based on Grid
Impact Studies.

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2.4.1.2 The Connection Point shall be controlled by a circuit breaker that is
capable of interrupting the maximum short circuit current at the
point of connection as specified by ZETCO.
2.4.1.3 Isolators shall be provided to adequately isolate the circuit breaker
for maintenance purposes at the local point.
2.4.2 Generating Unit Power Output
2.4.2.1 The Generating Unit shall be capable of continuously supplying its

Active Power output, as specified in the Generator's Declared Data,
within the System Frequency range of 52.5 to 47.5 Hz as per
statutory requirements.
2.4.2.2 The Generating Unit shall be capable of supplying its Active Power and
Reactive Power outputs, as specified in the Generator's Declared
Data, within the voltage variations specified in Section 3.3.2 of this
Grid Code during normal and emergency operating conditions.
2.4.2.3 The Generating Unit shall be capable of supplying its Active Power
output, as specified in the Generator's Declared Data, within the
limits of 0.85 Power Factor lagging and 0.98 Power Factor leading at
the Generating Unit's terminals, in accordance with its Reactive
Power Capability Curve.
2.4.3 Frequency Withstand Capability
2.4.3.1 The generating units should be capable of operating in synchronism

when the System frequency momentarily rises to 52.5 Hz or falls to
47.5 Hz.
2.4.3.2 The Generator shall be responsible for protecting its Generating
Units against damage for frequency excursions outside the range of
52.5 Hz and 47.5 Hz. The Generator shall provide adequate
protection to disconnect the Generating Unit from the Grid, if the
frequency is outside limits 52.5Hz and 47.5Hz.
2.4.4 Unbalance Loading Withstand Capability
2.4.4.1 The Gener at ing Unit shall meet t he r equir ement s f or Volt age
Unbalance as specified in Section 3.3.4 of this Grid Code.
2.4.4.2 The Gener at ing Unit shall also be r equir ed t o wit hst and wit hout
t r ipping, t he unbalance loading dur ing clear ance by t he Backup
Protection of a close-up phase-to-phase f ault on t he Gr id or , in t he
case of an Embedded Generating Unit, on the User System.

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2.4.5 Speed- Governing System
2.4.5.1 The Generating Unit shall be capable of contributing to Frequency

Control by continuous regulation of the Active Power supplied to the
Grid or to the User System in the case of an Embedded Generating
Unit. The Generating Unit shall be fitted with a fast-acting speed-
governing system to provide Frequency Control under normal
operating conditions. All governors shall have droop settings
adjustable between 3% and 6% and should be set at 5% or any such
setting as given by ZETCO National Grid Controller.
2.4.5.2 When a Generating Unit becomes isolated from the Grid, the speed -
governing System shall provide Frequency Control to the resulting
Island Grid. Exemptions from this requirement shall be specified in
the Connection Agreement or Amended Connection Agreement.
2.4.6 Excitation Control System
2.4.6.1 The Generating Unit shall be capable of contributing to Voltage

Control by continuous regulation of the Reactive Power supplied to the
Grid or, in the case of Embedded Generating Unit, to the User
System.
2.4.6.2 The Generating Unit shall be fitted with a continuously acting
automatic excitation control System to control the terminal voltage
without instability over the entire operating range of the Generating
Unit.
2.4.6.3 The performance requirements for excitation control facilities,
including power System stabilizers, where necessary for System
operations shall be specified in the Connection Agreement or
Amended Connection Agreement.
2.4.7 Black Start Capability
2.4.7.1 The Grid shall have Black Start capability at a number of strategically
located Generating Plants.
2.4.7.2 The Gener at or shall specif y in it s applicat ion f or a Connect ion
Agr eement or Amended Connect ion Agr eement if it s Gener at ing Unit
has a Black Start capability.

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2.4.8 Fast Start Capability
The Generator shall specify in its application for a Connection

Agreement or Amended Connection Agreement if its Generating Unit
has a Fast Start capability.
2.4.9 Protection Arrangements
2.4.9.1 The protection of Generating Units and Equipment and their

connection to the Grid shall be designed, coordinated, and tested to
achieve the desired level of speed, sensitivity, dependability and
selectivity in fault clearing and to minimize the impact of faults on
the Grid as specified under Section 7 of this Grid Code.
2.4.9.2 ZETCO and the User shall be solely responsible for the protection
System of the electrical equipment and facilities at their respective
sides of the Connection Point.
2.4.9.3 The site specific Fault Clearance Time shall be specified in the
Connection agreement or Amended Connection Agreement. The
general clearance times are for guidance purposes as specified in
Section 7 of this Grid Code.
2.4.9.4 Where the Generator's Equipment are connected to the Grid and a
circuit breaker is provided by the Generator (or by ZETCO) at the
Connection Point to interrupt the fault current at any side of the
Connection Point, a circuit breaker fail protection shall also be
provided by the Generator (or ZETCO).
2.4.9.5 The circuit breaker fail protection shall be designed to initiate the
tripping of all the necessary electrically adjacent circuit breakers and
to interrupt the fault current within the next 50 milliseconds, in the
event that the primary protection system fails to interrupt the fault
current within the prescribed Fault Clearance Time.
2.4.9.6 The Generator shall provide protection against loss of excitation on
the Generating Unit.
2.4.9.7 The Generator shall provide protection against pole-slipping on the
Generating Unit.
2.4.9.8 The ability of the protection scheme to initiate the successful
tripping of the Circuit Breakers that are associated with the faulty
Equipment, measured by the System Protection Dependability Index,
shall be not less than 99 percent.
2.4.9.9 All Grid Users shall provide adequate space for accommodation of
ZETCO s pr ot ect ion equipment , communicat ion equipment and net wor k
control equipment.

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2.4.10 Transformer Connection and Grounding
2.4.10.1 If the Generator's Equipment is connected to the Grid, the high-

voltage side of the transformer shall be connected in Wye, with the
neutral available for connection to ground.
2.4.10.2 ZETCO shall specify the connection and grounding requirements for
the LV side of the transformer, in accordance with the provisions of
Section 7 of this Grid Code.
2.5 REQUIREMENTS FOR DISTRIBUTORS AND OTHER GRID USERS
2.5.1 Requirements Relating to the Connection Point
2.5.1.1 The Dist r ibut or ' s or ot her Gr id User ' s Equipment shall be connect ed
t o t he Gr id at volt age level(s) agr eed t o by ZETCO and t he
Distributor (or other Grid User) based on Grid Impact Studies.
2.5.1.2 The Connection Point shall be controlled by a circuit breaker that is
capable of interrupting the maximum short circuit current as
specified by ZETCO at the point of connection.
2.5.1.3 I solat or s shall also be pr ovided t o adequat ely isolat e t he cir cuit
breaker for maintenance purposes at the local point.
2.5.2 Protection Arrangements
The protection of the Distributor's or other Grid User's Equipment

at the Connection Point shall be designed, coordinated, and tested to
achieve the desired level of speed, sensitivity, and selectivity in fault
clearing and to minimize the impact of faults on the Grid as per the
guidelines in Section 7 of this Grid Code.
2.5.3 Transformer Connection and Grounding
2.5.3.1 If the Distributor's or other Grid User's Equipment are connected to

the Grid, the high-voltage side of the transformer shall be connected
in Wye, with the neutral available for connection to ground.
2.5.3.2 ZETCO shall specify the connection and grounding requirements for
the low-voltage side of the transformer, in accordance with the

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provisions of Section 7 of the Grid Code.
2.5.4 Underfrequency Relays for Automatic Load Shedding
2.5.4.1 The Connection Agreement or Amended Connection Agreement shall

specify the manner in which Demand, subject to Automatic Load
Shedding, will be split into discrete MW blocks to be actuated by
Underfrequency Relays.
2.5.4.2 The voltage supply to the Underfrequency Relays shall be sourced
from the primary System at the supply point to ensure that the input
Frequency to the Underfrequency Relay is the same as that of the
primary System.
2.5.4.3 The tripping facility shall be designed and coordinated in accordance
with the reliability levels specified by ZETCO. The overall
dependability shall not be lower than 99%.
2.6 COMMUNICATION AND SCADA EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS
2.6.1 Communication System for Monitoring and Control
2.6.1.1 A communicat ion Syst em shall be est ablished so t hat ZETCO and t he
User s can communicat e wit h one anot her , as well as exchange dat a
signals f or monit or ing and cont r olling t he Gr id dur ing nor mal and
emergency conditions.
2.6.1.2 ZETCO shall provide the complete communication Equipment required
for the monitoring and control of the Connection Point and the
Generating Units. A connection fee shall be charged to the user of
the Grid as per the connection agreement for the provision of such
equipment.
Communication Equipment shall conform to the interface standard and
protocol specified by ZETCO. The Generators to be under control
shall be specified in the Connection Agreement.
2.6.1.3 ZETCO may use a combination of digital and analogue communication
media
2.6.2 SCADA System for Monitoring and Control
2.6.2.1 Overall real time operation and monitoring of the Grid shall be
supervised from the National Control Center. The National Control
Center shall be manned around the clock.

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2.6.2.2 ZETCO shall provide a Remote Terminal Unit (RTU) for

interconnection with the National Control Centre, to serve as
Telecontrol Equipment for monitoring real-time information and
controlling the Equipment at the Connection Point. The costs of such
equipment shall be borne by customers as connection fees as per
connection agreement.
2.6.2.3 The RTU shall be compatible with the Master Station protocol
requirements and modem specifications of ZETCO. In the event that
the Master Station is changed, ZETCO shall be responsible for any
change needed for the RTU to match the new requirements.
2.6.2.4 ZETCO shall also provide, if applicable, other related Equipment such
as transducers, cables, modems, etc. for interconnection with the
SCADA System of the Grid. The costs of such equipment shall be
borne by customers as connection fees as per connection agreement.
2.7 FIXED ASSET BOUNDARY DOCUMENT REQUIREMENTS
2.7.1 Fixed Asset Boundary Document
2.7.1.1 The Fixed Asset Boundary Documents for any Connection Point shall
provide the information and specify the operational responsibilities of
ZETCO and the User for the following:
a) HV and EHV Equipment;
b) L V and MV Equipment; and
c) Communications and metering equipment.
2.7.1.2 The Fixed Asset Boundary Document shall show precisely the
Connection Point and shall specify the following:
a) Equipment and their ownership;
b) Accountable Managers;
c) Safety Rules and procedures including Local Safety Instructions
and the Safety Coordinator(s) or any other persons responsible
for safety;
d) Operational procedures and the responsible party for operation
and control;
e) Maintenance requirements and the responsible party for
undertaking maintenance; and
f) Any agreement pertaining to emergency conditions.
2.7.1.3 The Fixed Asset Boundary Documents shall be available at all times
for the use by the operations personnel of ZETCO and the User.

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2.7.2 Accountable Managers
2.7.2.1 Prior to the Completion Date specified in the Connection Agreement

or Amended Connection Agreement, the User shall submit to ZETCO a
list of Accountable Managers who are duly authorized to sign the
Fixed Asset Boundary Documents on behalf of the User.
2.7.2.2 Prior to the Completion Date specified in the Connection Agreement
or Amended Connection Agreement, ZETCO shall provide to the User
the name of the Accountable Manager who shall sign the Fixed Asset
Boundary Documents on behalf of ZETCO.
2.7.2.3 Any change to the list of Accountable Managers shall be
communicated to the other party at least six (6) weeks before the
change becomes effective. If the change was not anticipated, it must
be communicated as soon as possible to the other party, with an
explanation why the change had to be made.
2.7.2.4 Unless specified otherwise in the Connection Agreement or the
Amended Connection Agreement, the construction, Test and
Commissioning, control, operation and maintenance of Equipment,
accountability, and responsibility shall follow ownership.
2.7.3 Preparation of Fixed Asset Boundary Document
2.7.3.1 ZETCO shall est ablish t he pr ocedur e and f or ms r equir ed f or t he

preparation of the Fixed Asset Boundary Documents.
2.7.3.2 The User shall pr ovide t he inf or mat ion t hat will enable ZETCO t o
pr epar e t he Fixed Asset Boundar y Document , in accor dance wit h t he
schedule specif ied in t he Connect ion Agr eement or Amended
Connection Agreement.
2.7.3.3 ZETCO shall prepare a preliminary Fixed Asset Boundary Document
for the Connection Point at least two (2) weeks prior to the
Commissioning date. The final Fixed Asset Boundary Document shall
be produced at most 2 (two) weeks after the final commissioning of
the connection point
2.7.3.4 The Fixed Asset Boundar y Document f or t he Equipment at t he
Connection Point shall include t he det ails of t he lines or cables
emanat ing f r om ZETCO' s and t he User ' s sides of t he Connect ion
Point.
2.7.3.5 The date of issue and the issue number shall be included in every page

ZIMBABWE GRID CODE
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of the Fixed Asset Boundary Document.
2.7.4 Signing and Distribution of Fixed Asset Boundary Document
2.7.4.1 Prior to the signing of the Fixed Asset Boundary Document, ZETCO
shall send a copy of the completed Fixed Asset Boundary Document to
the User, for any revision or for confirmation of its accuracy.
2.7.4.2 The Accountable Managers designated by ZETCO and the User shall
sign the Fixed Asset Boundary Document, after confirming its
accuracy.
2.7.4.3 ZETCO shall provide two (2) copies of the Fixed Asset Boundary
Document to the User, with a notice indicating the date of issue, the
issue number and the implementation date of the Fixed Asset
Boundary Document.
2.7.5 Modifications of an Existing Fixed Asset Boundary Document
2.7.5.1 When a User has determined that a Fixed Asset Boundary Document
requires modification, it shall inform ZETCO at least eight (8) weeks
before implementing the modification. ZETCO shall then prepare a
revised Fixed Asset Boundary Document at least six (6) weeks before
the implementation date of the modification.
2.7.5.2 When ZETCO has determined that a Fixed Asset Boundary Document
requires modification, it shall prepare a revised Fixed Asset Boundary
Document at least six (6) weeks prior to the implementation date of
the modification.
2.7.5.3 When ZETCO or a User has determined that a Fixed Asset Boundary
Document requires modification to reflect an emergency condition,
ZETCO or the User, as the case may be, shall immediately notify the
other party. ZETCO and the User shall meet to discuss the required
modification to the Fixed Asset Boundary Document, and shall decide
whether the change is temporary or permanent in nature. Within
seven (7) days after the conclusion of the meeting between ZETCO
and the User, ZETCO shall provide the User a revised Fixed Asset
Boundary Document.
2.7.5.4 The pr ocedur e specif ied in Sect ion 2.6.4 of t his Gr id Code f or signing
and dist r ibut ion shall be applied t o t he r evised Fixed Asset Boundar y
Document . ZETCO' s not ice shall indicat e t he r evision(s), t he new
issue number and the new date of Issue.

ZIMBABWE GRID CODE
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2.8 ELECTRICAL DIAGRAM REQUIREMENTS
2.8.1 Responsibilities of ZETCO and Users
2.8.1.1 ZETCO shall specif y t he pr ocedur e and f or mat t o be f ollowed in t he

preparation of the Electrical Diagrams for any Connection Point.
2.8.1.2 The User shall pr epar e and submit t o ZETCO an Elect r ical Diagram
f or all t he Equipment on t he User ' s side of t he Connect ion Point , in
accor dance wit h t he schedule specif ied in t he Connect ion Agr eement
or Amended Connection Agreement.
2.8.1.3 ZETCO shall provide the User with an Electrical Diagram for all the
Equipment on ZETCO's side of the Connection Point, in accordance
with the schedule specified in the Connection Agreement or Amended
2.8.1.4 If the Connection Point is at the User's Site, the User shall prepare
and distribute a composite Electrical Diagram for the entire
Connection Point. Otherwise, ZETCO shall prepare and distribute the
composite Electrical Diagram for the entire Connection Point.
2.8.2 Preparation of Electrical Diagrams
2.8.2.1 The Electrical Diagrams shall provide an accurate record of the layout
and circuit connections, ratings and identification of Equipment, and
related apparatus and devices at the Connection Point.
2.8.2.2 If possible, all the Equipment at the Connection Point shall be shown
in one Electrical Diagram. When more than one Electrical Diagram is
necessary, duplication of identical information shall be minimized. The
Electrical Diagrams shall represent, as closely as possible, the
physical arrangement of the Equipment and their electrical
connections.
2.8.2.3 The current status of the Equipment shall be indicated in the
diagram. For example, a decommissioned switch bay shall be labeled
"Spare Bay."
2.8.2.4 The title block of the Electrical Diagram shall include the names of
authorizing persons together with provisions for the details of
revisions, dates, and signatures.
2.8.3 Changes to Electrical Diagrams
2.8.3.1 If ZETCO or a User decides to add new Equipment or change an

ZIMBABWE GRID CODE
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existing Equipment Identification, ZETCO or the User, as the case
may be, shall provide the other party a revised Electrical Diagram, at
least one month prior to the proposed physical addition or change.
2.8.3.2 If the modification involves the replacement of existing Equipment,
the revised Electrical Diagram shall be provided to the other party in
accordance with the schedule specified in the Amended Connection
Agreement.
2.8.3.3 The revised Electrical Diagram shall incorporate the new Equipment
to be added, the existing Equipment to be replaced or the change in
Equipment Identification.
2.8.4 Validity of Electrical Diagrams
2.8.4.1 The composit e Elect r ical Diagr am pr epar ed by ZETCO or t he User , in

accordance with the provisions of Section 5.8.1 of the Grid Code, shall
be t he Elect r ical Diagr am t o be used f or all oper at ion and planning
activities associated with the Connection Point.
2.8.4.2 If differences arise pertaining the accuracy of the composite
Electrical Diagram, a meeting between ZETCO and the User shall be
held as soon as possible, to resolve the dispute.
2.9 CONNECTION POINT DRAWING REQUIREMENTS
2.9.1 Responsibilities of ZETCO and Users
2.9.1.1 ZETCO shall specif y t he pr ocedur e and f or mat t o be f ollowed in t he

preparation of the Connection Point Drawing for any Connection Point.
2.9.1.2 The User shall prepare and submit to ZETCO the Connection Point
Drawing for the User's side of the Connection Point, in accordance
with the schedule specified in the Connection Agreement or Amended
2.9.1.3 ZETCO shall provide the User with the Connection Point Drawing for
ZETCO's side of the Connection Point, in accordance with the
schedule specified in the Connection Agreement or Amended
2.9.1.4 If the Connection Point is at the User Site, the User shall prepare
and distribute a composite Connection Point Drawing for the entire
Connection Point. Otherwise, ZETCO shall prepare and distribute the
composite Connection Point Drawing for the entire Connection Point.

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2.9.2 Preparation of Connection Point Drawings
2.9.2.1 The Connection Point Drawing shall provide an accurate record of the
layout and circuit connections, ratings and identification of
Equipment, and related apparatus and devices at the Connection Point.
2.9.2.2 The Connection Point Drawing shall indicate the Equipment layout,
common protection, control and auxiliaries. The Connection Point
Drawing shall represent, as closely as possible, the physical
arrangement of the Equipment and their electrical connections.
2.9.2.3 The title block of the Connection Point Drawing shall include the
names of authorized persons together with provision for the details
of revisions, dates, and signatures.
2.9.3 Changes to Connection Point Drawings
2.9.3.1 I f ZETCO or a User decides t o add new Equipment or change an

exist ing Equipment I dent if icat ion, ZETCO or t he User , as t he case
may be, shall pr ovide t he ot her par t y a r evised Connect ion Point
Drawing, at least one month prior to the proposed addition or change.
2.9.3.2 If the modification involves the replacement of existing Equipment,
the revised Connection Point Drawing shall be provided to the other
party in accordance with the schedule specified in the Amended
2.9.3.3 The revised Connection Point Drawing shall incorporate the new
Equipment to be added, the existing Equipment to be replaced, or the
change in Equipment Identification.
2.9.3.4 ZETCO and the User shall, if they have agreed to do so in writing,
modify their respective copies of the Connection Point Drawings to
reflect the change that they have agreed on, in accordance with the
2.9.4 Validity of the Connection Point Drawings
2.9.4.1 The composite Connection Point Drawing prepared by ZETCO or the

User, in accordance with Section 2.8.1.4 of this Grid Code, shall be
the Connection Point Drawing to be used for all operation and planning
activities associated with the Connection Point.
2.9.4.2 If differences arise pertaining the accuracy of the composite
Connection Point Drawing, a meeting between ZETCO and the User

ZIMBABWE GRID CODE
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shall be held as soon as possible, to resolve the dispute.
2.10 GRID DATA REGISTRATION
2.10.1 Data to be Registered
2.10.1.1 The data relating to the Connection Point and the User Development
that are submitted by the User to ZETCO shall be registered
according to the following data categories:
(a) Forecast Data;
(b) Estimated Equipment Data; and
(c) Registered Equipment Data.
2.10.1.2 The Forecast Data, including Demand and Active Energy, shall contain
the User's best estimate of the data being projected for the five (5)
succeeding years.
2.10.1.3 The Estimated Equipment Data shall contain the User's best estimate
of the values of parameters and information about the Equipment for
the five (5) succeeding years.
2.10.1.4 The Registered Equipment Data shall contain validated actual values
of parameters and information about the Equipment that are
submitted by the User to ZETCO at the connection date. The
Registered Equipment Data shall include the Connected Project
Planning Data, which shall replace any estimated values of parameters
and information about the Equipment previously submitted as
Preliminary Project Planning Data and Committed Project Planning
Data.
2.10.2 Stages of Data Registration
2.10.2.1 The data relating to the Connection Point and the User Development
that are submitted by a User applying for a Connection Agreement or
an Amended Connection Agreement shall be registered in three (3)
stages and classified accordingly as:
(a) Preliminary Project Planning Data;
(b) Committed Project Planning Data; and
(c) Connected Project Planning Data;
2.10.2.2 The data that is submitted at the time of application for a Connection
Agreement or an Amended Connection Agreement shall be considered
as Preliminary Project Planning Data. This data shall contain the
Standard Planning Data specified and the Detailed Planning Data
specified in Section 4.5 of this Grid Code, when required ahead of the

ZIMBABWE GRID CODE
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2.10.2.3 Once the Connection Agreement or the Amended Connection
Agreement is signed, the Preliminary Project Planning Data shall
become the Committed Project Planning Data, which shall be used in
evaluating other applications for Grid connection or modification of
existing Grid connection and in preparing the Transmission
Development Plan.
2.10.2.4 The Estimated Equipment Data shall be updated, confirmed, and
replaced with validated actual values of parameters and information
about the Equipment at the time of connection, which shall become
the Connected Project Planning Data. These data shall be registered
in accordance with the categories specified in Section 2.10.1 of this
Grid Code and shall be used in evaluating other applications for Grid
connection or modification of existing Grid connection and in
preparing the Transmission Development Plan.
2.11 Data Forms

ZETCO, in consultation with ZERC shall develop the forms for all data
to be submitted in accordance with an application for a Connection
Agreement or an Amended Connection Agreement.
2.12 Connected Plant Restrictions
2.12.1 General Principle
User s connect ed t o t he Gr id can cause power dist ur bances, which

pr opagat e t o t he power Syst em. I f t hese dist ur bances ar e sever e,
t he power Syst em and ot her user s on t he Syst em will be adver sely
af f ect ed as descr ibed in Sect ion 4.1 of t his Gr id Code. To ensur e
Syst em int egr it y and f air ness t o all User s r est r ict ions and cont r ols
have to be placed on users of the System.
2.12.2 Safety
The t er m "Saf et y" r ef er s t o saf et y st andar ds adopt ed in

manuf act ur e, er ect ion st ages in choice of locat ion and in inst allat ion,
oper at ion and maint enance pr ocedur es. The t er m applies bot h t o
saf et y t o equipment and saf et y t o per sons including saf et y of gener al
public (in addit ion t o saf et y of ut ilit y st af f ). The equipment of t he
User s, including machines, devices, over head lines, under gr ound
cables, t r ansf or mer s, et c., must conf or m t o ZESA Elect r ical Saf et y
Rules, SAZ St andar ds and ot her St at ut or y inst r ument s such as

ZIMBABWE GRID CODE
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Fact or ies and Wor ks Act , r egulat ions and r ules t hat may f r om t ime t o
t ime be in exist ence in Zimbabwe. I n addit ion wher e such r ules ar e
not in place I EC st andar ds (I EC 950) shall be used in t he int er im
pending development of national standards.
2.12.3 Insulation
The user s' Syst em must be designed wit h t he pr oper basic insulat ion
level (BIL). Insulation of all components in service must have adequate
dielectric strength for the System operating voltages at all times.
2.12.4 Clearances
All over head lines, equipment and f acilit ies of t he User s Syst em
connect ed t o t he GRI D must comply wit h clear ance limit s published in
the ZESA Electricity Safety Rules.
2.12.5 Earthing
All component s of t he User s' Syst ems must be pr oper ly ear t hed as
specif ied by ZETCO f r om t ime t o t ime. All individual ear t h elect r odes,
ear t hing pit s, and t he int er connect ion ar r angement s shall be as per
st andar ds and shall be pr oper ly maint ained. The
bodies/ cases/ t r ucks/ enclosur es of all it ems of equipment shall be
pr oper ly ear t hed, wit h t he act ual ear t hing ar r angement s depending on
the machine ratings.
Met allic suppor t s of over head lines and cable sheat hs and shields shall
also be earthed as appropriate.
2.12.6 Safety Training
Per sonnel of all ent it ies shall be adequat ely t r ained in t he cor r ect
oper at ing t echniques and saf et y pr ecaut ions as per t he r equir ement s
of the ZESA Electrical Safety Rules.
2.12.7 Access by ZETCO
ZETCO and its authorized personnel shall have the right to inspect
the plant of any user to ensure conformity to standards and
restrictions.
2.12.8 Unintended and Unscheduled back- energisation

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The User s shall t ake adequat e pr ecaut ions t o ensur e t hat no par t of
t he Gr id is ener gized by t he User s' Syst em f r om anot her sour ce of
supply unless it is r equisit ioned in wr it ing by t he ut ilit y as an
except ional ar r angement . The swit chgear and cont r ols of t he User s'
Syst ems shall be so designed as t o pr event back-ener gisat ion and t he
personnel shall be made aware of the need for this precaution.
2.12.9 Site And Equipment Identification
2.12.9.1 Site and Equipment Identification Requirements
2.12.9.1.1 ZETCO shall develop and establish a standard system for Site and
Equipment Identification to be used in identifying any Site or
Equipment in all Electrical Diagrams, Connection Point Drawings,
Grid operations instructions, notices, and other documents.
2.12.9.1.2 The identification for the Site shall include a unique identifier for
each substation and switchyard where a Connection Point is
located.
2.12.9.1.3 The identification for Equipment shall be unique for each
transformer, transmission line, transmission tower or pole, bus,
circuit breaker, isolator, earthing switch, capacitor bank, reactor,
lightning arrester, and other HV and EHV Equipment at the
Connection Point.
2.12.9.2 Site and Equipment Identification Requirements Label
2.12.9.2.1 ZETCO shall develop and establish a standard labelling system,

which specifies the dimension, sizes of characters, and colours of
labels, to identify the Sites and Equipment.
2.12.9.2.2 ZETCO or the User shall be responsible for the provision and
installation of a clear and unambiguous label showing the Site and
Equipment Identification at their respective System.

ZIMBABWE GRID CODE
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SECTION 3
PERFORMANCE STANDARDS CODE
3 POWER QUALITY STANDARDS
3.1 Introduction
This Sect ion specif ies t he elect r ical par amet er s of per f or mance of t he GRI D,
which af f ect t he per f or mance of connect ed User s, and ot her Tr ansmission
Systems interconnected to the Transmission Grid.
3.1 Purpose and Scope
To ensur e t hat t he Gr id per f or mance meet s a minimum st andar d

which is essential for ZETCO and t he User s Syst em and equipment t o
function properly.
To enable User s t o design t heir syst ems and equipment t o suit t he
electrical environment that they operate in
To enhance t he qualit y st andar ds of ZETCO Elect r ical Syst em
t owar ds st andar ds st ipulat ed in or est ablished under Act s and Rules
in t he shor t t er m and gr adually moving t owar ds int er nat ional
standards in the long term.
The Grid performance standards apply to:
a) Zimbabwe Power Company

b) ZETCO
c) ZEDC
d) Any other generator connected to ZETCO System
e) Any user cur r ent ly connect ed t o or int ending t o be connect ed t o
ZETCO System
f) Any ot her Tr ansmission Syst em wit hin or out side Zimbabwe
connected or intending to be connected to ZETCO System
g) Any provider of Ancillary Services to the Transmission System
compliance.
3.3 Power Quality
Power quality shall refer to acceptability of the voltage, including, system

frequency during normal operations.

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3.3.1 Frequency Variations
Fr equency of t he Tr ansmission Syst em should be maint ained wit hin an

accept able r ange t o ensur e pr oper oper at ion of t he Syst em. The nominal
f r equency shall be 50 Hz. Dur ing nor mal and emer gency condit ions t he f ollowing
frequency ranges shall apply
Table 3.3.1 Frequency Limits
Statutory limits
Upper limit: 52.5 Hz
Lower limit 47.5 Hz
3.3.2 Harmonics
Har monics have many negat ive ef f ect s on t he Syst em and connect ed
loads, so t hey have t o be limit ed t o a manageable level. Cont r ol of
har monics on ZETCO Syst em is based on volt age har monic dist or t ion.
Har monics ar e gr ouped int o t hr ee cat egor ies: odd t r iplens (mult iples
of t hr ee), ot her odd har monics, and even har monics, wit h dif f er ent
sever it y levels and ef f ect s on equipment f or each cat egor y. Odd
harmonics are much more common than even harmonics.
3.3.2.1 Limits
Wher ever necessar y t he har monics limit s shall be calculat ed and set
as per IEC/TR3 61000-3-7 standard as per Table 3.3.2 below.

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Table 3.3.2 Maximum Limit s of Volt age Har monic Dist or t ion in HV and
EHV Systems
Harmonic Order Distortion

HV EHV
(Odd, non-triplen)
5 6.0 2.0
7 5.0 2.0
11 3.5 1.5
13 3.0 1.5
17 2.0 1.0
19 1.5 1.0
23 1.5 1.0
25 1.5 0.7
25 0.2+1.3x25/n 0.1+0.6x25/n
(Odd, triplen)
3 5.0 2.0
9 1.5 1.0
15 0.3 0.3
21 0.3 0.2
21 0.2 0.2
(Even)
2 2.0 2.0
4 1.0 2.0
6 0.5 0.5
8 0.5 0.4
10 0.5 0.4
12 0.2 0.2
12 0.2 0.2
Tot al Har monic 8% 3%
Distortion
n* harmonic order
3.3.2.2 Control and Measurement
Measurements may be t aken at any t ime by ZETCO at t he cust omer s

Connection Point. Measurements have to be taken in accordance with
methodologies of IEC 61000-4-7 or IEEE STD 519-1992 and have to be
for at least 24 hours long at 10-minute measurement intervals.

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3.3.3 Voltage Variations
The main Gr id volt ages shall be kept wit hin t he f ollowing limit s in st eady
state and contingency operating conditions.
Table 3.3.3: Voltage Variations
Normal Conditions Emergency Conditions
Nominal Maximum Minimu Maximum Minimum

Voltage (kV) (KV) m (KV) (KV)
(KV)
400 420 (maximum) 380 420 357
330 346 313.5 363 297
220 232 209 242 198
132 138.6 125.4 145 118.8
110 115.5 104.5 121 99.0
88 92.4 83.6 96.8 79.2
66 69.3 59.4 72.5 56.1
33 34.7 31.4 36.3 29.7
11 11.6 10.5 12.1 9.9
1*
Emergency condit ions ar e t hose condit ions not exceeding 30
minutes
3.3.4 Voltage Unbalance
The phase volt ages of a 3-phase supply should be of equal magnit ude
and 120 o apar t in phase angle. Deviat ions will r esult in decr eased
ef f iciency, negat ive t or que, vibr at ions and over heat ing. Sever e
unbalance could lead t o malf unct ioning of some equipment . Volt age
unbalance is defined as:
Voltage Unbalance = Deviation between highest and lowest phases

Average voltage of three phases
Limits for voltage unbalance are:
220kV and above: 2%

Below 220 kV: 3%

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Balancing loads on individual phases will help gr eat ly in avoiding
unbalanced voltages.
3.3.5 Voltage Fluctuation and Flicker Severity

I f t he volt age f luct uat es, t he luminous int ensit y of t he lamps and TV s
will f luct uat e cor r espondingly. I f t he f luct uat ion is of a magnit ude and
f r equency per cept ible t o t he eye, it becomes f licker . Flicker could r ange
f r om annoying t o complet e int er f er ence of nor mal act ivit y. Flicker is not
usually pr oduced by t he power Syst em but by cust omer loads such as ar c
f ur naces, compr essor s, st ar t ing of lar ge mot or s, et c. Since volt age
f luct uat ion of t he Syst em af f ect s ot her user s on t he same Syst em,
ZETCO shall dir ect t he management of f licker on it s lines and station
buses. At t he same t ime, f licker -gener at ing loads connect ed t o t he
Syst em have t o be cont r olled. ZETCO r eser ves t he r ight t o disconnect
any excessive f licker gener at ing load unt il t he Gr id User r ect if ies t he
problem.
3.3.5.1 Indicator of Quality for System Flicker
Flicker is t he impr ession of unst eadiness of visual sensat ion induced by a

light st imulus whose luminance or spect r al dist r ibut ion f luct uat es wit h
t ime. I t is gener at ed by cust omer s and is indicat ed by t he shor t -term
f licker sever it y index index Pst , as def ined in I EC St andar d 61000-3-7
and measur ed wit h a f licker met er t hat meet s t he specif icat ion of I EC
St andar d 868 or I EC St d 61000-4-15. For t he pur pose of r egulat ion, Pst,
t he shor t -t er m f licker sever it y index, is select ed as t he indicat or of
qualit y. Pst is consider ed t o be t he measur e of visual sever it y of f licker
der ived f r om a t ime ser ies out put of a f licker met er over a t en-minute
interval.
3.3.5.2 Limits
Pst = 1, which is equivalent to the threshold of perception, is the allowable

level of f licker on t he Tr ansmission Syst em. Toler ance f or cust omer -
gener at ed f licker var ies wit h t he r elat ive st r engt h (shor t cir cuit r at io)
of the load and voltage level. Limits are given in the following table.

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Table 3.3.5: Limits of flicker produced by Users
Short Circuit Ratio Voltage Pst
SL/SCC
SL/SCC 0.04 HV 0.37
EHV 0.58
HV 0.8
SL/SCC 0.04 EHV 1.0
3.3.5.3 Monitoring Control and Measurement
Subst at ions, which supply heavy indust r ial loads such as f ur naces, st eel
mills, et c., ar e t ar get s f or f licker monit or ing. Ot her subst at ions and
Connect ion Point will be select ed f or monit or ing on a r andom basis. At
least one sit e is monit or ed each mont h. The list of monit or ing point s is
submit t ed t o Gr id User s f or appr oval at least 2 mont hs bef or e t he
monit or ing. The f licker measur ement will be conduct ed at 10-minute
int er vals accor ding t o pr ocedur es out lined in I EC St d 61000-4-15. Each
site is measured for 1 week
3.4 Reliability Standards
System reliability of the Grid includes three aspects:
System adequacy
System security
Service reliability
The compliance t o Syst em adequacy and secur it y r eliabilit y st andar ds shall

be as specified in Section 4 of this Grid Code.
3.4.1 Service Reliability
The point s wher e elect r ic power is supplied f r om t he Tr ansmission

Syst em t o t he user s (gener at ion companies, dist r ibut ion companies,
anot her Tr ansmission Syst em, EHT cust omer s) ar e called deliver y point s
or Gr id supply point s. Out ages at t hese point s dir ect ly af f ect t he user s
of t he Gr id. The r eliabilit y level at t he deliver y point s is t her ef or e an

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indicat ion of t he qualit y of ser vice pr ovided by ZETCO t o it s user s.
Service reliability of the GRID is indicated by:
System Average Interruption Frequency Index (SAIFI)

System Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI)
Which are calculated as follows:
For each f or ced out age involving one or mor e deliver y point s and last ing
more than 1 minute, the following parameters are recorded:
Duration of outage in minutes: T i (min)

Sum of interrupted loads at all affected delivery points: Pi (kVA)
SAIFI = Pi / Ptotal
SAIDI= (Pi x Ti)/Ptotal 60
Where Ptotal = total sum of installed load at all delivery points
Note: Scheduled out ages, which ar e communicat ed t o t he

consumers beforehand and load shedding due to capacity shortage,
are not counted in the computation of these indices
Table 3.4.1: Allowable Limits
SAIFI SAIDI
24/yr 10
hours/year
3.5 Power Factor
3.5.1 General description
I t is desir able t hat loads on t he Syst em have power f act or s at or close

t o unit y as t hat r epr esent s t he most ef f icient use of t he Syst em
capabilit y and t he least loss of ener gy. I t also eliminat es many t r ansient
st abilit y pr oblems. Any load wit h a power f act or lower t han 90% is
imposing an unfair burden on the Transmission System and other Users.

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3.5.1.1 Limit
The minimum power factor allowed is 90%.
3.5.1.2 Control and Measurement
Power f act or measur ement s ar e made cont inuously in conj unct ion wit h
t he volt age measur ement s. Loads wit h inher ent low power f act or s should
aut omat ically include power f act or cor r ect ion equipment t o cor r ect t he
problem.
3.5.1.3 Penalty
A user wit h power f act or wor se t han 90% may be r ef used connect ion t o
t he t r ansmission Gr id unt il t he pr oblem is r ect if ied. Alt er nat ively, a
penalt y will be imposed based on load level and annualised cost of power
factor correction capacitors.
3.5.2 Reactive Power Requirements
I n gener al t he Dist r ibut ion Companies shall not depend on ZETCO f or

reactive power support. ZEDC and other Grid Users shall provide reactive
compensat ion f or t heir Syst em. ZEDC and ot her Gr id User s shall ensur e
t hat consumer s having induct ive load inst all capacit or s so t hat at t he
interface with ZETCO the power factor is not less than 90%.
SECTION 4
PLANNING CODE
4.1 Introduction
Pr ovisions of t his Sect ion ar e int ended t o enable ZETCO t o pr oduce a Net wor k
Development Plan and a Power Development Plan f or demand and supply balance.
This will be done in consult at ion wit h all Gr id user s in or der t o ensur e an
ef f icient , coor dinat ed, secur e and economical Gr id net wor k and power
development s t hat will sat isf y f ut ur e demand r equir ement s. The Sect ion
ident if ies t he planning r equir ement s f or t he Tr ansmission and Sub-transmission
Syst ems and t he Gener at ion Syst em including I mpor t s opt ions. These will
include the planning criteria, the planning processes and the tools to be used.

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The addit ion of a new f acilit y or t he modif icat ion of an exist ing f acilit y on t he
Tr ansmission Syst em may have a signif icant impact on t he oper at ion of t he
system. The impact needs to be analysed prior to the addition or modification of
facilities.
compliance.
4.2 TRANSMISSION SYSTEM PLANNING CRITERIA
The Zimbabwe Tr ansmission Syst em compr ises of t he 220 kV, 330 kV and
the 420 kV (maximum) network and interconnectors to other SAPP utilities.
I t is essent ial t hat t his Tr ansmission Syst em is designed t o ensur e

adequate, secure and acceptable reliability levels
4.2.1 Voltage Definitions
The f ollowing def init ions apply f or t he volt ages (nor mally) used on t he
ZETCO Transmission System
Table 4.1.1 Voltages (normally) Used on the ZETCO Transmission System
Highest voltage for equipment Nominal System voltage

(kV) (kV)
245 220
330 1*)
363
400 2*)
420 (maximum)3*
1*)
Not a st andar d I EC volt age. Used wit hin ZETCO f or hist or ic
reasons.
2*)
Not a standard IEC voltage. Used within SAPP.
3*
Not e t hat f or saf et y pur poses, t he 400/ 420 (maximum)
voltage shall be quoted as 420 (maximum) at all times

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4.2.2 Normal Operation
The most common f ault s on t he Syst em ar e single-phase line-to-ground

f ault s. Alt hough use of high speed single-pole aut omat ic r eclosing (HSAR)
limit s t he number of line out ages due t o single-phase f ault s, t he Syst em
should be designed high enough to withstand such an event.
The mor e sever e t hr ee-phase f ault s ar e r ar e. Designing t he Syst em t o be

able t o wit hst and such a f ault might t her ef or e be excessively cost ly. The
planning cr it er ia t her ef or e do not include any cr it er ion r egar ding t hr ee-
phase f ault s. However , t he planner should check t he Syst em r esponse t o
three-phase f ault s and evaluat e r easonable measur es t o secur e st abilit y
even under such conditions.
Wit h all t r ansmission lines in ser vice, t he Syst em must be capable of a

sat isf act or y supply of all bulk supply point s bot h dur ing peak and light load
condit ions. Swit ching of f lines f or volt age cont r ol dur ing light load is
accepted as long as this is not detrimental to the overall reliability.
4.2.2.1 Loading Limits
Ther mal design r at ings shall not be exceeded in st eady st at e oper at ion.
These line r at ings will be as per ZETCO designs as shown below and updat ed
from time to time.
Table 4.1.2 Conductor Current Rating (MVA) for the Transmission System for
Different Maximum Conductor Temperatures.
Conductor (mm2) 65 oC 75 oC 80 oC
Voltage (kV)
(MVA) (MVA) (MVA)
Twin Bison (2x350) 330 746 897 -
420 945 - -
Triple Bison (3x350) 330 - 1346 1444

420
- 1632 1740
(maximum)
4.2.2.2 Voltage Limits
In steady state operation, main Grid voltages shall be kept within

the following limits:

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Nominal Maximum Minimum

(kV) (kV/p.u.) (kV/p.u.)
330 kV: 346.5/1.05 313.5/0.95

400 kV: 420.0 (maximum) 380.0/0.90
4.2.3 Outage Conditions
The following outage criteria apply to the operation of the interconnected

Transmission System. In general, the criterion requires that there shall be
no loss of load for single contingency faults.
Not e t hat r adial lines at 220 kV or above, supplying loads in r emot e ar eas,
ar e in t his cont ext consider ed par t of t he sub-t r ansmission Syst em, and
t he cr it er ia given in Sect ion 4.2 below should be applied t o t hese par t s of
the System.
The cr it er ia pr esent ed in t he f ollowing is based on t he assumpt ion t hat all

lines and all r eact ive power compensat ion plant s ar e available f or use pr ior
to the fault, and that reserve is kept on the System.
4.2.3.1 Reserve Requirements
Supply t o all bulk supply point s shall be maint ained f ollowing a

sudden out age (wit hout any pr ior f ault ) of any single Tr ansmission
System component (line, transformer, reactor, capacitor or SVC).
4.2.3.2 Stability Criteria
The Syst em shall r emain st able f or a single line t o gr ound f ault

wit h unsuccessf ul high-speed single pole r e-close and def init e
three pole tripping.
The System shall withstand a sudden outage of any generating unit

or block of unit s connect ed t o t he same t r ansf or mer wit hout loss
of supply. (However , load shedding f ollowing an out age of t he
whole power station is accepted).
4.2.3.3 Loading Limits
For a single out age, t he f ollowing load limit s shall be applied once t he new
steady state has been reached, but prior to any operator intervention.

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- Short-time (10 minutes) overloads of up to 15% on

transmission lines shall be accepted if generation
rescheduling is available (i.e. before operator action can
be taken).
- Short-t ime (10 minut es) over loads of up t o 15% on t r ansf or mer s
shall be accept ed (i.e. 400/ 330 kV and 330/ 220 kV
transformers).
Limit ed over loads f or shor t per iods ar e not consider ed t o br ing t he

conduct or t emper at ur e t o cr it ical values neit her ar e t hey expect ed t o
incr ease sags t oo much. For most of t he lines, t he load in nor mal oper at ion
will be much lower t han t he t her mal r at ing. I t would t her ef or e t ake t ime
f or t he t emper at ur e even t o r each t he design r at ing of t he line. Limit ed,
short time overloads are for these reasons acceptable.
4.2.3.4 Steady State Voltage Limits
For a single out age, t he f ollowing volt age limit s shall be applied once t he
new steady state has been reached, but prior to any operator intervention.
- Main Grid voltages shall be kept within:

- 330 kV: 363.0/1.10 297.0/0.90

- 400 kV: 420.0 (maximum) 357.0/0.89
4.2.3.5 Transient Voltage Deviations
The transient response of the System following a disturbance as

observed in dynamic simulations is considered warranting further
investigations if bus voltages swing outside the range of 0.8 to 1.2 p.u.
for more than 500 milliseconds. This should be checked for adverse
effects on motors, contactors and other voltage sensitive loads.
Volt age excur sions below 0.7 p.u. any t ime even af t er a f ault has been
cleared successfully is considered to be unacceptable.

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4.2.4 Other Criteria
4.2.4.1 Losses
Cost s of losses shall be evaluat ed as par t of t he economic analysis of t he

dif f er ent Tr ansmission Syst em alt er nat ives. The analysis shall include
evaluat ions on opt imum line design (volt age and conduct or t ype and
configuration).
4.2.4.2 Line Design and Substation Design
When planning new 330 kV lines, it should be consider ed extensively

whet her t he lines should be designed f or 420 kV (maximum) oper at ion t o
f acilit at e lat er upr at ing of t he lines. For a subst at ion f ed f r om a line t hat
has been designed f or 420 kV (maximum) oper at ion, but oper at ed at 330
kV, ext ensive consider at ion should be given on t he design of t he subst at ion
including t r ansf or mer s, t o be easily be conver t ible t o 420 kV (maximum)
operation.
I t is expect ed t hat gener at or t r ansf or mer s and 420/ 330 kV t r ansf or mer s
shall be designed such that they carry maximum output or line.
The standard way leaves shall be as follows: -
11kV ..10m
22kV ..10m
33kV ..15m
66kV ..30m
88kV ..30m
132kV 30m
330kV 60m
420kV 60m

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In addition, the following line clearances shall be observed: -
Normal operating Over roads Minimum clearance

voltage between between conductors
line conductors and rail top
(in kV ) ( in metres )
Up to and including 33 5.8 10.5

66 6.0 10.9
88 6.1 11.1
10 and 132 6.7 11.5
220 7.0 12.4
330 and 400 7.3 13.4
4.2.4.3 System Protection Schemes
To be able to increase the utilization of the investments already made in

the Transmission System, use of special intelligent System protection
schemes like automatic shedding of generation to avoid cascading line faults
shall be evaluated. Such schemes can prove to limit the number of new
lines needed on the System, and thus considerable investments can be
saved.
4.2.4.4 Steady State Stability Limits
When evaluat ing t he Syst em' s t r ansf er limit s, car e should be t aken t o
design t he Syst em wit h adequat e mar gin t o volt age collapse phenomena.
Not e especially t hat a volt age collapse might occur at volt age levels above
t he minimum oper at ing levels indicat ed above. Tr ansf er limit s must ensur e
t hat a single out age does not br ing t he Syst em int o a st eady st at e
inst abilit y sit uat ion. The Syst em should be r egar ded as unaccept able f r om
a planning point of view if it r uns out of volt age cont r ol r ange f ollowing a
single contingency.
4.2.4.5 Maintenance Restrictions
The pr oposed "N-1" cr it er ion used f or t he Tr ansmission Syst em does not

t ake int o account out ages due t o maint enance. The r eason is t hat it has
been assumed t hat no maj or maint enance will be car r ied out dur ing peak
load, which is consider ed t o det er mine t he design of t he Syst em.
Depending on circumstances, it might be necessary for the planner evaluate
t he Syst em even f or "N-2" condit ions, and weigh cost s and benef it s of
designing t he Syst em t o meet such a cr it er ion. Planning of r eact ive power
compensat ion plant s ar e obvious candidat es f or such evaluat ions as such

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plants are often connected via large power transformers that might have to
be t aken out of ser vice at t imes when t he r eact ive power compensat ion is
needed the most.
In general, when evaluating different development strategies, those

alternatives that are foreseen to better meet requirements during
maintenance, should be preferred if the alternatives are otherwise
comparable.
4.3 SUB- TRANSMISSION SYSTEM PLANNING CRITERIA
The Zimbabwe Sub-transmission System comprises of 66 kV, 88 kV, 110

kV, and 132 kV System.
The following planning criteria apply to the 66 kV, 88 kV, 110 kV and 132 kV
Systems and any lines at higher voltage that only serve a local area supply
function (for instance radial 330 kV lines and receiving end substations).
Note that the 330 kV substation transformers are considered part of the
sub-transmission System. The reason for this is that an outage of a
330/132(88) kV transformer will have no significant impact on the
operation of the Transmission System, whereas it might cause a black-out
in the sub-transmission System fed from the substation.
As opposed t o a f ault on t he int er connect ed Tr ansmission Syst em, which

might lead t o a widespr ead blackout , a f ault on t he sub-transmission
System will affect only one bulk supply point or a few sub-transmission sub-
st at ions. The r equir ed r eliabilit y level on t he sub-t r ansmission Syst em is
therefore normally lower than in the bulk power Transmission System.
4.3.1 Voltage Definitions
The volt age def init ions used in t his manual ar e based on
r ecommendat ions given in I EC St andar d 38. This st andar d gives
r ecommendat ions on bot h t he highest volt age and t he nominal volt age
for equipment with a highest voltage not exceeding 245 kV
For normal operating conditions, the following voltage limits shall apply:
- Sub-transmission voltages shall be kept within:

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Normal Maximum Minimum
- 132 kV: 138.6/1.05 125.4/0.95

- 110 kV: 115.5/1.05 104.5/0.95
- 88 kV: 92.4/1.05 83.6/0.95
- 66 kV: 69.3/1.05 59.4/0.95
4.3.2 Line Loading Limits
Ther mal design r at ings shall not be exceeded in st eady st at e oper at ion.
These line r at ings will be as per ZETCO designs as shown below and
updated from time to time.
Table 4.3.2a Conductor Current Rating (MVA) for the Sub-Transmission

Syst eme s Dif f er ent Maximum Conduct or Temper atures.
Conductor (mm2) 50 oC 65 oC 75 oC 80 oC
Voltage (kV)
(MVA) (MVA) (MVA) (MVA)
Racoon (75) 66 16.5 30 36 -
88 21.9 40 47 -
Dog 1* (100) 66 18.6 36 42 -

88 24.8 48 56 -
132* 37 71 84 -
Wolf (150) 66 21.7 45 54 -

88 29 61 72 -
132 43 91 108 -
Twin Wolf (2x150) 88 58 121 144 -

132 87 182 216 -
Single Lynx (175) 66 22.7 50 59 -

88 30.3 66 79 -
132 45 99 118 -
Twin Lynx (2x175) 88 61 132 157 -

132 91 198 236 -
Single Panther (200) 66 23.8 54 64 -

88 31.7 72 86 -
132 48 108 128 -

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Twin Panther (2x200) 132 95 215 257 -
Bear 2* (250) 132 50 122 146 128
Single Bison (350) 88 - 100 120 193

132 - 149 179 385
Twin Bison (2x350) 132 - 299 359 963
1
* Dog conduct or might cause excessive cor ona losses at 132kV and should pr ef er ably be
avoided
2* For future purposes, and for the purpose of standardisation, the Bear conductor should not be used, in
preference to the Lynx Conductor, which has comparable transfer capabilities, but is from cost consideration
cheaper.
Table 4.3.2b Cable Current Rating (MVA) for different conductor sizes.
Type of cable Voltage Rating in MVA

0.1 Inch 3Core Copper cable 88 kV 29
300mm2 Al 3Core cable 88 kV 48
185mm2 3Core Copper cable 88 kV 85
4.3.3 Reserve Requirements
I n t he case of a single out age, t he f ollowing r eser ve levels shall be

considered:
- Loss of a 330 kV sub-st at ion t r ansf or mer (including banked

transformers):
a) For sub-stations with a peak demand of 200 MW or more:

Moment ar y r eser ve shall be secur ed f or an out age of a
single (or banked) transformer (see table in 4.2.3)
b) For subst at ions wit h a peak demand of 100 MW t o 200
MW:
Af t er ut ilizing all available swit ching oppor t unit ies (i.e.
including swit ching in healt hy unit s of banked
t r ansf or mer s and making use of backup oppor t unit ies
f r om adj acent subst at ions) t her e should be suf f icient
capacity to maintain full peak load supply.
c) For substations with a peak demand of less than 100 MW:
including swit ching in healt hy unit s of banked
t r ansf or mer s and making use of backup oppor t unit ies

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f r om adj acent subst at ions) t her e should be suf f icient
capacity to meet 80% of peak demand.
- Loss of a Single Sub-Transmission Line:
a) For loss of a line t o an ar ea wit h a peak demand of mor e t han 200

MW:
including backup oppor t unit ies f r om adj acent subst at ions)
there should be suf f icient capacit y t o maint ain f ull peak load
supply.
b) For loss of a line t o an ar ea wit h a peak demand of 100 MW t o 200
MW:
including back-up oppor t unit ies f r om adj acent subst at ions)
t her e should be suf f icient capacit y t o meet 80% of peak
demand.
c) For loss of a line to an area with a peak demand of less than 100 MW:
No back up r equir ed. (Not e t hat most line out ages ar e expect ed t o be
short.)
- Loss Of A 132kV Substation Transformer
a) For a substation with a peak demand of more than 100MW,

momentary reserve shall be provided.
b) For a substation with a peak demand of between 50 and 100MW:
After utilising all available switching options making use of back-up
opportunities from adjacent substations, there should be available
capacity to maintain 100% peak supply.
c) For a substation with a peak demand of less than 50MW:
There should be sufficient capacity at adjacent substations to
maintain 50% of Peak Demand.
4.3.4 132 kV Transformer Loading Limits
The f ollowing 132kV t r ansf or mer loading limit s shall be applied

f ollowing t r ansf or mer out ages. The set limit s ar e based on I EC
st andar ds 38 or ZETCO design, assuming an ambient t emper at ur e of
30 deg. C. Moment ar y loading based on I EC st andar ds 38 or ZETCO
design is for a period of 30minutes.

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Table 4.3.4 132 kV, 110 kV, 88 kV and 66 kV Transformer Loading (MVA)
LOADING LIMIT (MVA)

TRANSFORMER MOMENTARILY CONTIUNUOUSLY
NAMEPLATE RATING
(MVA)
90MVA 115 90
(ONAF)
50/75MVA 95 75
(ONAN/ONAF)
30/50MVA 55 50
(ONAN/ONAF)
35/45MVA 50 45
(ONAN/ONAF)
20/30MVA 35
(ONAN/ONAF) 30
20MVA (ONAN) 23
20
10MVA (ONAN) 12
10
7.5MVA (ONAN) 8.5
7.5
5MVA (ONAN) 6
5
4MVA (ONAN) 4.5
4
4.3.5 330 kV Transformer Loading Limits
For a single outage, the following load limits shall be applied:
- No overloads on sub-transmission lines shall be accepted.

- The f ollowing 330 kV subst at ion t r ansf or mer load limit s shall be
applied bot h f ollowing line and t r ansf or mer out ages. (The limit s
are based on IEC standard 38 assuming an ambient temperature of
30 oC. Tr ansf or mer load f act or s ar e account ed f or .) Moment ar y
loading based on t he I EC st andar d 38 is f or a per iod of 30
minutes.

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Table 4.3.5 330 kV Transformer Loading Limits
Transformer Load Limit (MVA)

Name-plate
Rating
Momentarily Continuously
60 MVA
(ONAF) 75 65
90 MVA
(ONAF) 115 100
62.5/125 MVA
(ONAN/ONAF) 140 125
125/175 MVA *)
(ONAN/ONAF) 195 175
*)
Not e t hat t he t r ansf or mer impedance is
mat ched t o t he ONAN r at ing. The economic
oper at ing r ange will t her ef or e be close t o t he
ONAN rating.
4.3.6 Voltage Limits
For a single outage, the following voltage limits shall apply:
- Sub-transmission voltages shall be kept within;

- 132 kV: 145.2/1.10 118.8/0.90

- 110 kV: 121.0/1.10 99.0/0.90
- 88 kV: 96.8/1.10 79.2/0.90
- 66 kV: 72.6/1.10 56.1/0.90

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4.3.7 Other Criteria
4.3.7.1 Losses
Cost s of losses shall be evaluat ed as par t of t he economic analysis

of t he dif f er ent Syst em alt er nat ives. The analysis shall include
evaluat ions on opt imum line design (volt age and conduct or t ype and
configuration).
4.3.7.2 Line and Substation Design
I n gener al, all new sub-transmission pr oj ect s should be designed f or

132 kV oper at ion alt hough init ially being planned f or oper at ion at 88
kV. All new 132 kV lines should be designed f or a maximum
conductor temperature of 75 oC.
4.4 NETWORK DEVELOPMENT APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY
This Section presents the approach and methodology to be adopted in the

t r ansmission planning pr ocess in ZETCO. The aim has been t o lay a
f r amewor k f or t he planning aspect s involved in t r ansmission and Sub-
t r ansmission Syst em planning cover ing t he r equir ed input s, t he expected
constraints, the expected results and the basic steps to be taken.
The planning and design of t he Tr ansmission Syst em is aimed at pr oducing

a net wor k t hat is capable of t r ansmit t ing elect r ical ener gy f r om t he
gener at ing plant s t o t he load cent r es in an economic, saf e and r eliable
manner . The planning pr ocess it self t ends t o be complex since t her e is no
single best solut ion t o a pr oblem. Cer t ain select ion pr ocesses have t o be
used t o eliminat e some alt er nat ives and come up wit h a plan t hat sat isf ies
t he const r aint s t o t he maximum ext ent . I n gener al, t he planning pr ocess
has been subj ect t o development s and r ef inement s over t he year s wit h
improved software programs and powerful computers making it realistic to
perform comprehensive calculations in shorter time frames.
Similar development s in t he planning pr ocess ar e expect ed in f ut ur e.

Power System planning approach and methods will therefore be subject to
amendment s as exper ience is gained on t he var ious st udy met hods and
limitations and drawbacks are realised.
4.4.1 Objectives
The Tr ansmission Syst em ser ves t o t r ansf er ener gy f r om t he gener at ing

cent r es t o t he consumer and should do so in a r eliable, saf e and economic

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manner . Tr ansmission planning should t hus r esult in least -cost
t r ansmission development plans t hat ar e capable of supplying t he
f or ecast ed load while pr oviding oper at ional f lexibilit y. The capabilit y of
t r ansact ions wit h neighbour ing Syst ems as well as wheeling must also be
consider ed. The Syst em should oper at e wit hin accept able volt age limit s
and wit hout danger ous or damaging over loads t o equipment bot h under
normal conditions and in emergencies.
Good planning is based on a r easonable number of t echnically accept able

alt er nat ives. The cost s and benef it s of each alt er nat ive, including
envir onment al impact s, need t o be compar ed in or der t o select t he best
alt er nat ive. Decision analysis t echniques should be used t o per mit
evaluation of non-cost factors.
4.4.2 Approach
The nat ur e of Tr ansmission Syst em planning leads t o a mult i-objective

evaluat ion of a number of alt er nat ive expansion scenar ios t hat in most
cases become an impr act icable t ask. The nor mal appr oach in net wor k
planning is t hus t o car r y out a t echnical analysis on t he most pr omising
development plans based on attaining certain reliability levels.
As t he demand f or a high qualit y elect r icit y supply has incr eased, it has
become impor t ant t o expr ess t he r eliabilit y level using quant it at ive
measur es t o f acilit at e t he evaluat ion of dif f er ent Syst em development
alt er nat ives. This makes it possible t o est ablish t he balance bet ween
incr ement al wor t h of ser vice qualit y impr ovement and incr ement al cost of
pr oviding t hat impr ovement . This becomes an opt imisat ion pr oblem wher e
the total cost is the objective function and the required level of reliability
becomes the point of minimum total costs as illustrated in Figure 4.4.2. A
lot of wor k has now been devot ed t o t he development of pr ocedur es and
computer programs for reliability-based analysis.

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Figure 4.4.2
System Costs as a Function of System Reliability
8.0
7.0
6.0 Total Costs

Optimum
5.0
4.0
Cost of Inv., O&M and
3.0
2.0
Cost of Interruptions
1.0
0.0
0.78 0.80 0.82 0.84 0.86 0.88 0.90 0.92 0.94
Reliability Index
At pr esent , Tr ansmission Syst em r eliabilit y levels ar e analysed using

planning cr it er ia t hat def ine allowable syst em r esponses. The cr it er ia
should be st r ingent enough t o ensur e a high qualit y of supply yet it must
also be r ealist ically cost ef f ect ive in t oday' s compet it ive envir onment .
The cr it er ia may be based on eit her det er minist ic or pr obabilist ic
appr oaches. The det er minist ic appr oach involves t he specif ying of
allowable Syst em r esponse t o specif ied cont ingencies or dist ur bances.
Pr obabilist ic appr oach involves limit ing t he r isk of Syst em f ailur e or even
limit ing cust omer impact such as r isk of loss of load, on t he basis of
outage statistics of System components.
Recent year s have seen sever al development s in pr obabilist ic reliability

assessment pr ocedur es, which have been used t o subst ant iat e t he need
f or Syst em expansions. These have now been applied widely by some
ut ilit ies. Reliable and det ailed dat a f or making f ailur e models f or most
Syst em component s have been est ablished having been assist ed by
reliability-based maint enance appr oaches being used in oper at ing t he
net wor k. However , t he det er minist ic appr oach is viewed as adequat e f or
the Zimbabwe System.
The det er minist ic appr oach is t her ef or e st ill being used. The cr it er ia
developed apply t o bot h st at ic and dynamic condit ions, r equir ing t hat t he

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Syst em r esponse t o cer t ain dist ur bances f all wit hin pr escr ibed limit s.
These limits often specify permissible voltage ranges, component loadings,
frequency deviations and rotor angles. The limitation of the deterministic
appr oach is t hat it does not pr ovide a means of quant if ying t he wor t h of
improved supply, which is required to justify System reinforcements. The
det er minist ic appr oach is consider ed t o be t he best f or t he ZETCO
System.
4.4.3 Methodology
4.4.3.1 Basis
As alr eady st at ed, t he t r ansmission planning pr ocess is a complex one and

hence t her e is a need t o lay down some guiding st eps as a means of
pr oviding unif or mit y t o t he t r ansmission st udies t hat ar e car r ied out in
ZETCO. The Syst em Tr ansmission Syst em development s plans shall be
based on load f or ecast Gener at ion Syst em development plan and
agr eement s f or t r ansact ions wit h ot her ut ilit ies. Any ext er nal f act or s
t hat might af f ect Tr ansmission Syst em planning should be addr essed in
t he planning pr ocess. I n gener al, t he f undament al at t r ibut es of each plan
can be assessed f or t echnical, economic and envir onment al soundness.
Some at t r ibut es cannot be expr essed in monet ar y t er ms but t hat does
not mean t hat t hey ar e insignif icant . Envir onment al issues f or example
ar e basically of a qualit at ive nat ur e but ar e becoming ver y impor t ant in
inf r ast r uct ur e planning. Of t en such at t r ibut es ar e expr essed as
statutory regulatory limitations to the planning process.
Figur e 4.4.3 illust r at es t he st ages t hat ar e involved in t he t r ansmission

planning pr ocess. An essent ial f eat ur e of t his pr ocess is t he scr eening of
alternatives from an economic and technical point of view to avoid carrying
out detailed studies on alternatives that are not competitive. The number
of alt er nat ives t o be invest igat ed is t her ef or e r educed f r om one st age t o
t he ot her . The r emaining alt er nat ives ar e t hen subj ect ed t o mor e
detailed and time consuming studies.

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Figure 4.4.3 Stages in the Transmission Planning Process.
Input Data: - Load Forecasts

- Generation Data & Scenarios
- Network Data & Operating Philosophy
- Statutory & Regulatory limitations
Assess Existing Network against Planning Criteria:

Loadflow, short circuits & stability at different stages.
Generate alternatives for network expansion & reinforcement
Assess technical feasibility of alternatives

with reference to transmission planning criteria
no
Are
Technical criteria
Satisfied?
Yes
Cost alternatives & carry out least cost economic analysis. Carry out
economic cost-benefit analysis on least cost alternative.
no
Are
Economic criteria
Satisfied?
yes
Carry out financial cost-benefit analysis on least cost alternative.
Further refine the alternatives: -substation basic layout

-protection requirements
-other issues
Recommend a transmission expansion plan

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4.4.3.2 Grid Planning Studies - Technical Analysis
ZETCO shall car r y out Gr id planning st udies t o ensur e Reliabilit y, Saf et y,

Security and Stability of the Grid for the following:
Pr epar at ion of t he Tr ansmission Development Plan (TDP) t o be

int egr at ed wit h t he Power Development Plan (PDP) in pur suant t o
the provisions of the Act.
Evaluation of the Grid reinforcement projects and
Evaluat ion of any pr oposed user development , which is submit t ed t o
the ZETCO in accordance with the application for connection.
The Gr id planning st udies shall be conduct ed per iodically t o assess t he

behaviour of t he Gr id dur ing nor mal and out age condit ions and also dur ing
elect r omechanical or elect r omagnet ic t r ansient s induced by dist ur bances.
The f ir st scr eening pr ocess is t hr ough t he t echnical analysis of t he
ident if ied t r ansmission expansion alt er nat ives. The r equir ed input s f or
this process are:
-load forecasts
- existing network
- committed expansion plans
- generation scenarios
- transactions with other utilities
The need f or t r ansmission expansion plans is det er mined by ident if ying

any t r ansmission const r aint s, limit at ions and bot t lenecks in f ut ur e based
on t he input dat a. Basic alt er nat ive development plans t hat would solve
t hese pr oblems ar e list ed and engineer ing j udgement is applied t o scr een
these alternatives and remain with the most promising ones.
The most pr omising alt er nat ives ar e assessed f or t heir t echnical

soundness against t he planning cr it er ia discussed above. The t echniques
applied ensur e t hat all component s ar e oper at ing wit hin pr escr ibed limit s
and t hat volt ages ar e wit hin per missible r anges. Load f low analysis
t echniques ar e used at t his st age of t he pr ocess. For net wor ks wit h
obvious t r ansient st abilit y pr oblems, init ial invest igat ions of Syst em
dynamic r esponse will also be car r ied out at t his st age. Fault analysis is
nor mally car r ied out at a lat er st age of t he planning pr ocess. I n some
cases Syst em r eliabilit y analysis might be r equir ed as a basis f or
evaluating alternatives.

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Tr ansmission planning st udies must be per f or med as necessar y t o
det er mine t he impact on t he int er connect ed Tr ansmission Syst em when
connect ing new and/ or modif ied gener at ion, t r ansmission, or end-use
f acilit ies t o ensur e t he secur it y and adequacy of t he Tr ansmission
Syst em. The r esult s of t hese analyses will be used t o det er mine if
modif icat ions must be made t o maint ain t he r eliabilit y of t he
Tr ansmission Syst em. A det ailed int er connect ion st udy is made up of
the following components:
Load Flow Analysis

Fault Analysis
Stability Analysis
4.4.3.2.1 Load Flow Analysis
A model of t he power Syst em is used t o simulat e cer t ain specif ied

oper at ing condit ions. Load f low st udies shall be per f or med t o
evaluate t he behaviour of t he exist ing and planned Gr id f acilit ies
under f or ecast ed maximum and minimum load condit ions and t o st udy
t he impact on t he Gr id of t he connect ion of new gener at ion plant s,
loads or t r ansmission lines. The r esult s pr edict power f low
magnit udes and volt age levels under t he loss of any individual Syst em
element . The load f low analysis enables t he pr edict ion of equipment
over loads and t he det er minat ion of excessive st eady st at e volt age
drops, which may be encountered.
4.4.3.2.2 Fault Analysis
Fault analysis will be per f or med t o det er mine t he ef f ect of

equipment addit ions or modif icat ion on t he Syst em f ault cur r ent s.
The st udies shall also ident if y t he most sever e condit ions t hat t he
Gr id equipment may be exposed t o. The f ault st udies dat a will be
used t o evaluat e t he impact of t he new or modif ied inst allat ion on
t he int er r upt ing capabilit y or r at ing of t he pr eviously inst alled
equipment such as circuit breakers and switches.
ZETCO shall maintain an up to date fault level database, which should

be made available on r equest by Gr id User s. ZETCO shall inf or m t he
Gr id User , if f ault levels at a Connect ion Point ar e likely t o impact
adver sely on t he User s Equipment connect ed t o t he Gr id.

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4.4.3.2.3 Stability Analysis
A st abilit y analysis will be per f or med t o det er mine t he Tr ansmission

Syst em s r esponse t o a sudden change in t he st at e of t he Syst em due
t o f ault s on t he Syst em and unit out ages. The st abilit y analysis will
determine:
i. Unit / station stability during faults
ii. Voltage levels and deviations
iii. Frequency levels and frequency deviations
iv. Synchr onous gener at or r ot or oscillat ions and r eal and r eact ive
power outputs
4.4.3.3 Economic Analysis
Elect r icit y plays a maj or r ole in t he economic development of t he count r y

as a whole. Therefore the transmission development plans that result in a
r eliable net wor k ar e cor e element s in t he st r at egy f or r aising t he
economic and social welf ar e of cit izens. Ther e is aviabilit y. This involves
demonst r at ing t hat t he pr oposed pr oj ect is likely t o cont r ibut e
signif icant ly t o t he development of t he ent ir e economy t o j ust if y t he use
of the resources envisaged for the project.
Cost-benef it analysis pr ovides a t ool of assessing t he wor t h of a pr oj ect

t o societ y. However it is not an easy t ask t o ident if y and cost t he
benef it s of some pr oj ect s. This makes cost -benef it analysis a t ime
consuming t ask and hence it becomes cost ly t o car r y out on all
alt er nat ives. Wher e t he alt er nat ive pr oj ect s ar e aimed at sat isf ying t he
same obj ect ive, a cost -ef f ect ive analysis can be used t o compar e t he
alt er nat ives. I n t r ansmission planning, least -cost analysis should be used
t o eliminat e some alt er nat ive expansion plans. Cost -benef it analysis is
t her ef or e car r ied out on a f ew pr oj ect s t hat ar e among t he least cost
solut ions t o t he pr oblem. These f ewer alt er nat ives would sat isf y t he set
economic cr it er ia in ZETCO. However in cases wher e t he cr it er ia ar e not
met t hen alt er nat ives ar e modif ied and t hus t he pr ocess becomes
iterative.
4.4.3.4 Environmental Analysis
The envir onment al analysis f ocuses on t he pr oj ect ' s impact on t he

envir onment , bot h human and bio-physical, dur ing const r uct ion, oper at ion
and de-commissioning.
The envir onment al impact st udy should pr ovide baseline inf or mat ion t o be
used in monit or ing envir onment al impact s and assessing t he ef f ect iveness

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of mit igat or y measur es. Bot h negat ive and posit ive envir onment al impact s
should be identified and quantified to the extent possible.
4.4.3.5 Financial Analysis
Financial analysis of a pr oj ect involves det er mining t he cost and r evenue

of t he pr oj ect . The cost s give an indicat ion of t he f unds needed t o
complet e t he pr oj ect , while t he r evenue and sour ces of f unds det er mine
whet her a pr oj ect can sust ain it s f inancial obligat ions and have adequat e
wor king capit al as well as gener at e suf f icient cash f low t o meet the
pr oj ect oper at ional expenses. Above all t he analysis should indicat e
whether the project is feasible by comparing the costs and benefits.
The pr oj ect cost s and benef it s used in f inancial analysis should be

pr ovided and updat ed as and when necessar y by ZETCO. The t echnique
provides a measure of the profitability of the project. It is recommended
t hat f inancial analysis should only be car r ied out on t he scr eened
alternatives that have been proved to be economically viable.
4.4.3.6 Final Selection
The f inal plans t hat have under gone t he scr eening pr ocess list ed above
ar e f ur t her invest igat ed and r ef ined t o pr ovide t he degr ee of det ail
r equir ed f or t he specif icat ion of t he equipment . This may include f ault
analysis, analysis of oper at ional cont ingencies and protection
r equir ement s. The invest ment necessar y t o sat isf y t hese r equir ement s is
gener ally f ar out weighed by t he invest ment s r equir ed t o sat isf y t he
steady state and dynamic criteria covered in the early planning stages.
The pr ocess of t r ansmission planning t hat has t hus been descr ibed
involves a t r ade-of f bet ween t he level of det ail and t he number of
alt er nat ives st udied. The t echnical analysis of t r ansmission planning
projects is carried out on a larger number of alternatives compared to the
economical and f inancial analysis. The f inal t r ansmission pr oj ect s t hat
would have gone through the above stages will then be incorporated in the
System Development Plan (SDP).

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4.3.4 Transmission Planning Tools
ZETCO shall employ planning software, which includes but not limited to
Power System Simulator for Engineers (PSS/E) for the Transmission
Planning.
4.5 POWER DEVELOPMENT
According to the provisions of the Electricity Act 13:19 ZETCO has the mandate
f or planning t he Gener at ion Syst em f or long t er m capacit y including gener at ion
scheduling, commit ment and dispat ch. To maint ain t he capacit y balance, it is
necessar y t o ensur e t hat t her e is adequat e and r eliable plant t o meet t he
pr esent as well as f ut ur e consumpt ion and demand as pr escr ibed by t he load
f or ecast . Having achieved t hat , t he t ot al plant must be oper at ed ef f icient ly t o
minimize costs.
Four basic quest ions have t o be answer ed in t he cour se of t he planning pr ocess.

These are:
WHAT capacities to install to ensure demand and supply balance?

WHAT capacities to install to ensure an appropriate level of reliability?
HOW t o pick t he best combinat ion among t he dif f er ent t echnologies at
hand now and in future?
WHERE to locate this new generation equipment?
WHEN is the proper time to incorporate them into the System?
The obj ect ive of a Power Development Plan (Gener at ion Plan) is t o est ablish
when, wher e and what t ype and size of plant t o build, in or der t o ensur e an
economic and reliable supply of forecasted load within a given planning period.
4.5.1 Planning Approach
ZETCO shall use a Least Cost Planning appr oach. A pr act ical
f r amewor k f or least - cost ut ilit y planning should explicit ly consider
t he maj or issues in r esour ce planning and f acilit at e r isk management .
In this framework, demand and supply side options are simultaneously
evaluated for cost -effectiveness.
The Dynamic Syst em Opt imisat ion (DSO) model is used f or

int egr at ed demand, supply and f inancial planning. The DSO model
performs the following functions:
* Opt imises supply side opt ions f or convent ional, r enewable and non-
traditional resources over the entire planning horizon.

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* Opt imises demand side opt ions including conser vat ion and peak
reducing programs.
* Select s new plant s and Demand Side Management pr ogr ammes t o

satisfy emission restrictions on SOx, NOx and particulates.
* Sat isf ies r eliabilit y r equir ement s t o meet t he mont hly r eliabilit y
criteria.
Figure 4.5.1 Resource Integration: Dynamic System Optimisation Model
1
Demand Side Management
* Pr oduct ion Cost

Model
Revenue
Requirement Electricity
Model Demand
DSO New DSM 1

2 Plant Improvement
Dynamic System Resources
Module Optimisation Model
New Gener at ion
Resources
Existing
Potential Purchase Resources
New DSM 1
* Market New Demand Programs
Penetration Side
DSM1 Cost Management
Analysis Programs *Resources
Optimised?
*Emission
constraints
satisfied?
No
Yes
3 LEAST COST PLAN
Least Cost Planning approach entails emphasis on three key elements:

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4.5.1.1 Load Forecasting
Elect r icit y power supply and demand must be balanced at all t imes
and t he challenge f or any elect r icit y supply company is t o pr ovide
a r eliable elect r icit y supply ser vice at least cost . To meet t his
challenge it is necessar y t o plan f or a level of invest ment t hat
meet s f ut ur e ener gy consumpt ion and maximum demand given by a
load f or ecast . I t is t her ef or e of par amount impor t ance t o
estimate what the load demand will be for the planning period.
Guessing wr ong can be ext r emely cost ly. The maj or uncer t aint ies
in f or ecast ing and planning should be explicit ly r ecognised in t he
planning pr ocess. I n or der t o minimise load-forecasting
uncer t aint ies, t he load f or ecast f or gener at ion planning will mainly
compr ise of t he low case, base case and high case as pr ovided and
updat ed by ZETCO on an annual basis or when t he need ar ises
robustness and flexibility are important planning goals.
Electrical demand and energy forecasting is mainly classified into

three ranges: short, medium and long-term forecasts. The short
term forecast is useful in determining unit commitment and
economic dispatch; medium term forecasting is required for fuel
procurement, maintenance scheduling and diversity interchanges;
whereas the long- term forecast (annual peak and energy
consumption forecast) is necessary for System expansion planning
and financial analysis. Energy and demand are forecast on an
annual basis for the 20-year planning period so as to provide a
sufficient time horizon in providing future development options.
ZETCO shall employ load-forecasting software, which includes but
not limited to MAED.
4.5.1.2 Satisfying the Load Forecast / Developing Scenarios
Af t er t he Load For ecast is pr oduced it is mat ched against t he

capacit y and ener gy r esour ces of t he exist ing plant s t o see
whet her t hey can sat isf y t he r equir ement s over t he planning
per iod. I f t he exist ing plant s cannot meet t he load f or ecast it
t hen becomes necessar y t o f ind t he best possible ways of meet ing
t he demand r eliably and at least cost , which is what Power
Development Planning is all about . Sever al t echnically equivalent
scenar ios have t o be evaluat ed t o det er mine t he least cost , t aking
into consideration three major criteria:

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4.5.1.2.1 Criterion 1 (Reliability Criterion)
The minimum r eser ve level t o be car r ied on t he Syst em should be

at least 10.6% of Adj ust ed Demand f or Thermal-based power and
7.6% f or Hydr opower and a weight ed aver age f or a combinat ion of
bot h. Adj ust ed Demand is equal t o t he Peak Syst em Demand plus
t he amount of Fir m Tar if f Power expor t ed minus t he amount of
Firm Tariff Power imported in the same interval.
4.5.1.2.2 Criterion 2 (Security Criterion)
The minimum level of int er nal gener at ion shall have as a long-term
obj ect ive, capacit y equal t o or gr eat er t han 100% of demand.
I nt er nal gener at ion shall be commit t ed when exist ing r eser ve
levels drop below Criterion 1.
4.5.1.2.3 Criterion 3 (Economic and Financial Criterion)
For economic consider at ions Fir m I mpor t s may exceed t he

r eser ve mar gin limit as long as Cr it er ion 2 is met and sour ces of
ener gy ar e signif icant ly diver sif ied in bot h t echnology and
geography and are cost effective relative to local options.
I t is t hus necessar y t o consider explicit ly what level of adequacy

is r equir ed f or Syst em planning. Over building capacit y will
incr ease t he aver age cost of gener at ion because t he cost s of t hat
ext r a capacit y have t o be bor ne by t he cust omer s. On t he ot her
hand, under building capacit y will r esult in some por t ion of t he
demand not being ser ved. I f t he economic cost of t his unser ved
ener gy is added t o t he gener at ion cost , t his summed cost of
gener at ion also incr eases t he degr ee of under building and t he
costs become severe.
Based on t his Planning Cr it er ia, equivalent compet ing scenar ios ar e

der ived. The plant opt ions in t hese scenar ios should be what is
practically available to the Planner.
4.5.2 Demand Side Management (DSM)
Cust omer demand can be inf luenced by ut ilit y act ions. Demand -side
opt ions ar e available, viable and pot ent ially usef ul alt er nat ives t o
t r adit ional gener at ion -based st r at egies. Demand side management is t he
planning and implement at ion of t hose ut ilit y act ivit ies designed t o

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inf luence cust omer use of elect r icit y in ways t hat will pr oduce desir ed
changes in t he ut ilit y s load shape. The r at ionale f or DSM as a par t of
overall utility planning is:
The demand f or elect r icit y is not ent ir ely beyond a ut ilit y s cont r ol.
Rather than being exogenous, the timing and shape of load instead can
be inf luenced by dir ect ut ilit y act ion in ways t hat cont r ibut e t o
meeting utility objectives.
The f act t hat demand can be inf luenced makes it possible t o consider
an expanded r ange of opt ions t o meet t he obj ect ive of balancing
supply and demand.
Demand side opt ions can be used t o complement or subst it ut e f or
supply-side options.
Compar ed wit h supply side alt er nat ives, demand side opt ions shar e
char act er ist ics t hat make t hem pr ef er able t o supply pr oj ect s in t he
current planning environment.
The benef it s ar e t he savings in avoiding ener gy supply cost s. These avoided

cost s ar e t he mar ginal cost s of t he supply r esour ce r eplaced by DSM. They
include t he r educt ion of t r ansmission, dist r ibut ion, gener at ion and capacit y
costs for periods when the load has been reduced.
4.5.3 Options Available
All available options such as, but not limited to shall be considered
as considered in the optimised generation expansion plan.
Thermal options
Hydro options
Imports
Non conventional and renewable energy sources
4.5.4 Operating Environment
Wit h t he advent of I ndependent Power Pr oducer s (I PP), t he

characteristics of the utility planning environment suggest four principles
for improved decision making:
Evaluate decisions as they affect customers and investors

Analyse t he ef f ect s of uncer t ain var iables on t he cust omer ' s
cost of service and the investors return
Consider t he long - t er m consequences of invest ment decisions
f or t he r elevant r ange of uncer t aint ies and f or maj or

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contingencies.
Ensur e t hat decisions ar e well document ed wit h suppor t ive
st udies and r at ionale f or t he pur poses of public and r egulat or y
retrospective review.
4.5.5 Generation Planning Tools
ZETCO shall employ planning software, which includes but not limited to
WASP and UPLAN-E.
4.6 PLANNING DATA EXCHANGE
In order to ensure adequate planning and development of the

Transmission Grid, ZETCO will require information pertinent to planning
that may be resident in other companies such as ZEDC and any other
customers connected to the Grid and ZPC and any other suppliers of
power in the Grid. ZETCO should have full access to all the relevant data
from these companies as and when the need arises. ZETCO shall provide
standard data format for this purpose. A more detailed account of data
requirements is given in Section 8 of this Grid Code. The information
requirements shall basically include, but not limited to:
- Historical Energy and Demand

- Energy and Demand Forecast
- Dependable capacity
- ZERC and/or SAPP approved criteria
- ZEDC or any other User or Customer System Data

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SECTION 5
OPERATIONS CODE
5.1 Introduction
ZETCO ) is entrusted with the responsibility to transmit power and

energy from the generating units and/or imports to the bulk and/or large
customers in a safe, qualitative and secure manner.
ZETCO transmission grid is operated in parallel as an interconnected grid
with other SADC utility transmission networks to form the Southern
African Power Pool (SAPP). In pursuance of harmonised interconnected
operation the SAPP has developed operating guidelines that are
subscribed to by all the operating members. ZETCO takes cognisance of
the SAPP requirements in developing and implementing of its own
guidelines and procedures.
5.2 Purpose
Provisions of this Operations Section are intended to enable ZETCO to

maintain a well-coordinated, safe and secure transmission grid that will
deliver quality power. The provisions include guidelines on principles and
procedures for system services provision; network switching (control)
actions, demand/supply balancing, operational planning and event
reporting. This will be done in consultation with all gird users (grid
connected generators, grid connected customers and the distributors).
These provisions may touch on, but not limited to, the following issues: -
Pre-dispatch and post-dispatch planning.

Real-time system monitoring and control.
Communication during normal and emergency conditions.
Maintenance planning, co-ordination and execution.
Generation scheduling and dispatch.
Safety coordination.
5.3 Responsibility
Equipment ownership and demarcations shall be as per connection

agreements between ZETCO and the grid Users. Control, Operation and
maintenance of any equipment shall be as detailed in the Power Supply
Agreement (PSA), Power Purchase Agreements (PPA) and Joint System
Operational Memoranda.

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All grid Users shall endeavor to operate their respective systems in

synchronism at all the times. Security of power system and safety of
personnel and/or equipment shall be accorded higher priority than
economic considerations.
ZERC shall monitor compliance to all matters covered by this section

of the Grid Code and shall design and effect appropriate penalties
for enforcing compliance.
SUPPLY PPA PSA DEMAND
ZETCO
JSOM
JSOM
SYSTEM OPERATOR
ZPC ZEDC
GRID NETWORK SAPP

SAPP
LARGE
OTHERS CUSTOMER
5.4 System Monitoring
ZETCO shall maintain a control centre that is manned 24 hours a day by

an appropriate number of personnel for the purpose of system monitoring
and control. The control centre must be equipped with a computer based
supervisory, data acquisition and energy management system.
For effective operation of the transmission grid ZETCO shall

continuously, in real time, monitor the following: -
(a) Actual generation unit active sent out power (MW) - it is

important that the generator's declared availabilities are realistic
and ZETCO advised of any departures as per provisions in PPA's.

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Equally important all information on generator trips shall be
urgently conveyed to ZETCO System Operator.
(b) Actual active power (MW) drawn by grid Users
(c) Tie line interchange
(d) Reactive power (MVAr) flows into or out of ZETCO grid. - This
information is necessary for and will assist in voltage management.
(e) System frequency this information gives an indication of the
demand supply balance.
(f) Voltage profiles in all stations and points of connection
(g) Equipment loading
5.5 System Services
Syst em ser vices ar e all ser vices essent ial f or t he pr oper f unct ioning of
t he t r ansmission gr id and which det er mine power qualit y. These ser vices
include, but not limit ed t o, f r equency cont r ol, volt age cont r ol and
oper at ing r eser ves. ZETCO shall ensur e t hat t he t r ansmission gr id is
oper at ed wit h adequat e levels of t hese ser vices. ZETCO shall advise
Grid Users of the required contribution levels of the services where they
ar e mandat or y and shall it self , pr ocur e adequat e levels wher e ZETCO has
to self provide.
5.5.1 Frequency Control Service
ZETCO shall operate the grid in a manner that provides adequate

frequency control within applicable limits at all times in order to maintain
the security and integrity of the same. Both primary and secondary
frequency control shall be as per recommendations from ZETCO.
5.5.1.1 Frequency Range
The frequency within the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) is

maintained and controlled jointly by all the interconnected utilities. The
normal frequency shall be 50.0Hz with a statutory range of 47.5Hz
52.5Hz. The operational range, which is narrower than the statutory band,
shall be as recommended by the SAPP or ZETCO when operating in the
interconnected or islanded mode respectively.
5.5.1.2 Frequency Control
a) All generators must operate under the control of a governor system

at all times when synchronised to the grid.
b) All governors shall be capable of droop adjustments of between 3%
and 6%. The actual governor settings to be implemented for

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primary frequency control shall be as specified in the connection
agreement.
c) No deliberate time delays shall be introduced in the governor
control systems.
d) Frequency dead bands shall be as per recommendation from ZETCO
in consultation with SAPP utilities.
e) Exemption for free governor mode for power stations not having
free governor mode facility shall be sought from ZETCO.
f) ZETCO shall employ Automatic Generation Control (AGC) and manual
actions for secondary frequency control. Generators required to be
under AGC shall be specified in the connection agreement and those
not operating under AGC shall continue to follow dispatch
instructions from the System Operator.
5.5.1.3 Control Area Frequency and Interchange Control
ZETCO National Grid forms one of the Control Areas within SAPP. In
line with the basic control requirement, ZETCO shall employ Automatic
Generation Control (AGC) and manual actions for secondary frequency
control. Generators required to be under AGC shall be specified in the
connection agreement and those not operating under AGC shall continue
to follow dispatch instructions from the System Operator.
The AGC shall meet the frequency and tie-line standards defined by
SAPP.
5.5.2 Voltage Control Service
Volt ages on t he gr id and at point s of connect ion shall be maint ained

wit hin t he limit s specif ied under sect ion 5.5.2.1 of t his code. I n cases
wher e t he volt age limit s ar e unique t o t he point of connect ion t hese shall
be as specif ied in t he connect ion agr eement s and / or j oint syst em
oper at ional agr eement s. The dur at ion and ext ent of volt age f luct uat ions
shall also be limit ed under f ault condit ions. ZETCO shall employ bot h
st at ic and dynamic met hods t o maint ain volt age st abilit y, maint ain
volt ages wit hin limit s and minimise syst em losses using met hods t hat
include but not limited to the following.
(a) Transformer tap changing.
(b) Reactor and capacitor switching.
(c) Static Var Compensators
(d) Generator reactive power capability.
(e) Demand management.
(f) Transmission lines charging capacitance

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5.5.2.1 Voltage Range
The main gr id volt ages shall be kept wit hin t he f ollowing limit s in st eady
st at e and cont ingency oper at ing condit ions so as t o minimise syst em
losses and to maintain quality of supplies.
Normal Conditions Emergency Conditions
Nominal Maximum Minimu Maximum Minimum

Voltage (kV) (KV) m (KV) (KV)
(KV)
400 420 (maximum) 380 420 357
330 346 313.5 363 297
220 232 209 242 198
132 138.6 125.4 145 118.8
110 115.5 104.5 121 99.0
88 92.4 83.6 96.8 79.2
66 69.3 59.4 72.5 56.1
33 34.7 31.4 36.3 29.7
11 11.6 10.5 12.1 9.9
Wher e st anding inst r uct ions or special dispensat ions ar e in place t he

voltage might not follow guiding limits in the table above.
5.5.2.2 Voltage Control
a) Gr id volt ages will cont inuously be monit or ed and cont r olled

accor dingly. ZETCO shall adj ust gr id volt ages using
available control facilities.
b) Gener at or excit at ion syst ems shall be nor mally oper at ed
under a cont inuously act ing Aut omat ic Volt age Regulat or
(AVR) which shall be set t o maint ain a const ant t er minal
voltage.
c) The ZETCO shall inst r uct t he gener at or s on what t er minal
voltage to maintain.
d) Gener at or s may only disable t he act ion of AVR if such
act ion assist s in impr oving on t he r eliabilit y of t he
generator.
e) As an emer gency measur e ZETCO may implement demand
shedding to prevent lower voltage limit excursions.

ZIMBABWE GRID CODE
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f) Line swit ching will be implement ed only if it does not
jeopardise system security.
5.5.3 Equipment loading
ZETCO shall cont inuously monit or t he loading on all plant and

equipment on t he t r ansmission gr id. Ther mal design r at ings shall
not be exceeded in st eady st at e oper at ion and f or single out age.
Shor t t ime over loads of up t o 15% on t r ansmission lines and
t r ansf or mer s shall be accept ed if gener at ion r escheduling is
available (i.e. bef or e oper at or act ion can be t aken). Ot her wise
ZETCOshall implement load management t o r elieve over loaded
circuits.
Gr id User s dr awing power f r om ZETCO gr id shall ensur e t hat t heir loads

do not affect ZETCO grid system in terms of causing any:
1. Unbalance in t he phase angle and magnit ude of volt age at t he

points of connection beyond the limits prescribed by ZETCO.
2. Har monics in t he syst em volt age at t he int er connect ion point
beyond the limits prescribed by ZETCO.
Should any one of t he above t wo pr evail ZETCO may dir ect t he

User(s) to take appropriate measures to remedy the situation.
5.6 Operational Planning
ZETCO shall be r esponsible f or planning of t he consolidat ed demand

f or ecast , gener at ion scheduling, demand cont r ol pr ocedur es out ages and
contingency plans.
5.6.1 Demand and Supply planning
All grid Users drawing power from ZETCO grid shall provide ZETCO, for
all points of connection, with
i. Estimates of demand on a monthly basis for the year ahead

ii. Estimates of demand on daily basis for the month ahead.
Similarly each generator shall provide ZETCO with estimates of generation

availability on monthly basis for the year ahead and on daily basis for
month ahead.

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ZETCO shall match the consolidated demands with consolidated generation
availability and plan for demand control to ensure that there is a balance
between the available power / energy and the demand (inclusive of system
losses and required reserves).
5.6.2 Outage Planning
ZETCO and each User shall pr epar e an out age pr ogr amme f or t he ensuing
f inancial year f or compilat ion of t he over all out age plan f or ZETCO gr id.
Each User shall obt ain appr oval f r om ZETCO pr ior t o availing t he Out age.
However , ZETC is aut hor ised t o def er any planned out age in case of any
of the following events: -
a) Major grid disturbance

b) Security constrained dispatch
c) Unavailabilit y of ot her equipment t hat has t o be condit ionally
in service for the outage to go ahead
Any other event in the system that may have an adverse impact on system
security by the proposed outage
5.6.3 Contingency Planning
The cont ingency plan and black st ar t pr ocedur es shall be pr epar ed by

ZETCO in consult at ion wit h gr id User s. The r est or at ion pr ocess shall
t ake int o consider at ion gener at or capabilit ies and oper at ional const r aint s
of t he t r ansmission net wor k. All user s shall be awar e of t he r equisit e
steps to be taken during the following: -
a) Partial system blackout

b) Total system blackout
c) Synchronisation of system islands
Dur ing syst em r est or at ion f ollowing a dist ur bance nor mal st andar ds of
frequency and voltage shall not apply.
User s dr awing load will ident if y non-essent ial component s of t heir load
for the purpose of keeping them off during system contingencies to aid in
syst em r est or at ion. The non-essent ial loads can be put on only when the
syst em is r est or ed as advised by t he ZETCO. All User s shall pay special
at t ent ion in car r ying out t he pr ocedur es so t hat secondar y collapse due
to undue haste or inappropriate loading is avoided. Despite the urgency of
t he sit uat ion, car ef ul pr ompt and complet e logging of all oper at ions and

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oper at ional messages shall be ensur ed by all User s t o f acilit at e
subsequent invest igat ion int o t he incident and t he ef f iciency of t he
restoration process.
5.7 Records
ZETCO shall maintain a historical database of power and energy demand.

This information is very useful as input to demand forecasting and for
reconciliation and reporting.
5.7.1 Demand and Energy Data records
The following historical data shall be maintained to facilitate System

Studies:
Energy produced by source of energy

Energy sent out by source of energy
Energy at the Connection Points and at 330 kV substations
System maximum demand
330 kV substations absolute maximum demand
330 kV substations demand at the time of the System Peak
330 kV substations demand at the time of the System Light Load
Sub-transmission substations absolute peaks
Sub-transmission substations loads at the time of 330 kV substations
peak loads
Sub-transmission substations at the time of System peak load
Sub-transmission substations at the time of System light load
The data shall be captured on hourly basis and either an electronic copy
or hard copy shall be kept and produced on request.
5.7.2 Safety records
Legibly written Switching Logs, in chronological order, shall be maintained

by both and designated Senior Authorised persons for all operations and
messages relating to safety co-ordination sent and received by them. All
Switching Logs and safety documents issued for work on plant and / or
equipment shall be retained for a period of not less than one year.
5.7.3 Fault Recording And Reporting

When a f ault occur s on t he power syst em it causes unplanned changes in
t he Act ive Power , React ive Power , Volt age, Cur r ent and/ or Fr equency
associated with the transmission grid.

ZIMBABWE GRID CODE
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Fault reports for all fault s on t he ZETCO gr id shall be gener at ed. Equally
all Users whose equipment is faulted and impacts on the ZETCO grid must
r epor t t he det ails of such a f ault t o ZETCO at t he ear liest oppor t unit y.
ZETCO shall r ecor d per manent ly all r elevant inf or mat ion per t aining t o
the fault.
Fault reports shall contain, but not limited to, the following information:
a) Date and time of Fault

b) Location of Fault
c) Circuit Breaker(s) operations
d) Cause of Fault
e) Injuries to Persons and/or Damage to Plant
f) Load Interrupted and Duration of Interruption
g) Protection Operations
h) Any other relevant information
The fault reports for ZETCO grid related disturbances shall be made available
to Users on request through the Regulator.
5.8 Safety Coordination
5.8.1 Responsibility
This sect ion specif ies saf et y r equir ement s t o be used by ZETCO and all
Gr id User s so as t o maint ain saf et y of plant and / or equipment and
per sonnel. ZETCO shall be t he cust odian of saf et y pr ocedur es and
document s used when wor king on plant and / or equipment on t he
t r ansmission gr id and at all point s of connect ion wit h t he User s. ZETCO
does not , however , seek t o impose t hese saf et y r equir ement s f or wor k
out side t he t r ansmission gr id net wor k and beyond t he point s of
connect ion. Only compet ent per sons dully aut hor ised by ZETCO shall be
per mit t ed t o car r y out any wor k and net wor k swit ching on t he
t r ansmission gr id and at t he point of connect ion. The saf et y
r equir ement s ar e as capt ur ed in t he Zimbabwe Elect r icit y Supply
Authority Electrical Safety Rules and the supplementary Live Line Safety
Rules.

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5.8.2 Authorised Persons
A list of t he Senior Aut hor ised per sons (names, designat ions and
telephone number s) f or t he ZETCO t r ansmission gr id and f or User s at
point s of connect ion shall be cir culat ed t o all ZETCO and all gr id User s.
The list must be updat ed pr ompt ly whenever any of t he inf or mat ion
changes.
5.8.3 Work On Plant and Equipment
Wor k must commence only af t er it has been made saf e t o wor k on

through the following steps.
i. Made dead source of power removed.

ii. Isolated physically disconnected form source of power.
iii. Earthed connected to the earth.
iv. Safety documents issued
The designat ed Senior Aut hor ised per son shall ensur e t hat adequat e
saf et y pr ecaut ions ar e est ablished and maint ained t hr ough out t he wor k.
The equipment shall only be consider ed as suit able f or r et ur n t o ser vice
when all saf et y document s have been cancelled and isolat ion point s
normalized.
5.8.3 Electrical Accidents
In the event of an electrical accident on the ZETCO grid or at points of

connection the following steps shall be taken:
a. Stop work and attend to the injured if any.

b. Not if y ZETCO Cont r oller , who will decide whet her wor k should
continue or not.
c. Report Incident to Zimbabwe republic Police.
d. Produce a preliminary report and notify management.
e. I f necessar y management const it ut es a commit t ee f or f ur t her
investigation
f. Produce a detailed accident report.
g. Circulate report internally and to key people in the Users systems.
h. Officially advise the ministry of the accident.

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5.9 Communications
Telecommunicat ions ar e t he basic inf r ast r uct ur e t hat makes r emot e

oper at ions of a syst em possible. I t is, t her ef or e, imper at ive t hat
telecommunications be highly reliable, and highly available.
ZETCO Syst em Oper at or ZETCO and User s shall advise each ot her of
t he t elephone number s t o be used f or oper at ional pur poses. ZETCO shall
ensur e t hat all oper at ional lines ar e monit or ed f or f ut ur e r eplay should
any disputes arise or as a tool in incident investigation.
I n t he case of pr oblems wit h dir ect TelOne calls, a pr ior it y call can be
obt ained by dialling t he local oper at or , st at ing URGENT ELECTRI CI TY
CALL and asking f or t he r equir ed number . The Oper at or will consider
t he call as an emer gency and obt ain t he number wit h minimum delay. The
Post mast er Gener al (PMG) s Cir cular No. 40 of 1983, which may be quot ed
in the event of misunderstanding, covers the above procedure.
Use of mobile communication should be used as a last resort.
5.10 Demand Control
Pr ovisions of t his sect ion ar e t o enable ZETCO t o implement demand

r educt ion or demand addit ion in a manner t hat ensur es t he cont inued
balance bet ween supply and demand. Demand r educt ion will help in
maintaining syst em int egr it y in cases of demand supply mismat ch and
equipment over load. Similar ly a demand addit ion (r econnect ion) will assist
in achieving controlled picking of demand.
ZETCO shall be r esponsible f or issuing inst r uct ions f or t o User s f or

picking or dropping load under normal or emergency conditions.
5.8.2 Planned Demand Control
I n t he case of a supply demand mismat ch is f or eseen ZETCO will aler t

User s dr awing power f r om ZETCO gr id in t er ms of t he t imes and load
quantum to be curtailed.
ZETCO and User s shall pr oduce a load shedding pr ogr amme t hat will be
followed when there is planned load demand control.
Where there is not enough time to notify Users ZETCO shall curtail load in
a manner t hat does not st r ict ly f ollow t he agr eed load shedding
programme.

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5.10.2 Automatic (Emergency) Demand Control
Emergency operating conditions requiring automatic demand control occur

when there is a sudden loss of generation substantially in excess of spare
plant capacit y. ZETCO in consult at ion wit h gr id User s shall pr epar e t he
plan for automatic load shedding during the low frequency conditions.
Dur ing per iods of low f r equency condit ions gener at ing st at ions shall
assist through the following:
a. Endeavour t o assist t he syst em f r equency t o r ise t o 50 Hz, by

increasing generation whenever possible.
b. Not disconnect ing manually f r om t he t r ansmission syst em unless
t her e is def init e evidence t hat a complet e f ailur e of gener at ion would
otherwise result.
The per son in char ge at each gener at ing st at ion, however , will r et ain t he
right to shut down plant if he/she considers that its continued operations
would be unsafe, or would result in breakdown of the plant.
5.11 Power System Restoration After Blackout
ZETCO Syst em Oper at or s ar e r equir ed t o dir ect and co-ordinate

restoration efforts after blackouts. This can only be achieved safely and
quickly by using a well-or ganised and syst emat ic appr oach as specif ied in
this Section.
I t is incumbent on all gr id User s aut hor ised t o car r y out swit ching on t he
net wor k t o be t hor oughly f amiliar wit h and obser ve t he f ollowing
restoration procedures:
a) ZETCO and t he Gr id User s ar e r equir ed t o accur at ely assess t he

ext ent of t he blackout and t he st at us of plant and equipment , and
f r om available inf or mat ion det er mine t he best met hod f or r est or ing
supplies. I mpor t ant oper at ional r equir ement s, cr it ical loads,
alternative supply options, etc should receive the required priority.
b) ZETCO and t he Gr id User s should saf ely and quickly r est or e supplies
by carrying out switching, directing and co-ordinating staff involved in
t he exer cise. They must not get involved wit h non-operational
matters, especially to answer queries from other staff and the public.
c) ZETCO shall dir ect and co-or dinat e syst em r est or at ion wit h User s
and int er connect ed ut ilit ies in accor dance wit h st anding inst r uct ions
and laid down procedures.

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d) Gener at ing st at ion Oper at or s shall dir ect and co-or dinat e t he st ar t -
up of generating machines to be ready for synchronising in accordance
with local standing instructions and procedures.
e) Rest or at ion wor k should be conduct ed in accor dance wit h all
applicable oper at ing r ules and memor anda, in par t icular ZESA s
Elect r ical Saf et y Rules must be complied wit h. St at ut or y, equipment ,
operational and other constraints must be observed.
f) The r espect ive Oper at or s must ensur e t hat an accur at e and complet e
log is maint ained. This is r equir ed f or post event analysis and may be
of assistance during the emergency.
All swit ching oper at ions on t he ZETCO shall be in line wit h pr ovisions of
t he ZESA Elect r icit y Saf et y Rules. No par t of t he ZETCO gr id shall be
deliber at ely isolat ed f r om t he int egr at ed net wor k except under t he
following conditions.
Under an emer gency, and condit ions in which such isolat ion
would pr event a t ot al gr id collapse and/ or enable ear ly
restoration of power supply
When ser ious damage t o cost ly equipment is imminent and such
isolation would prevent it
On oper at ion of ZETCO appr oved under f r equency/ islanding
scheme
Complet e synchr onisat ion of int egr at ed gr id shall be r est or ed, as soon as
t he condit ions again per mit it . ZETCO shall super vise t he r est or at ion
process.
5.12 Schedule And Dispatch
ZETCO shall pr epar e t he day ahead gener at ion schedule keeping in view
the following:
a) ZETCO grid constraints from time to time

b) Load r equir ement s as est imat ed t hr ough consolidat ing User demands
for specified intervals
c) The need t o pr ovide oper at ing mar gins and r eser ves r equir ed t o be
maintained
d) The availabilit y of gener at ion f r om var ious sour ces t oget her wit h any
constraints in each case
The Gener at ion Scheduling shall be in accor dance wit h t he Power

Pur chase Agr eement s (PPA s). Gener at or s shall pr ompt ly inf or m ZETCO in

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t he event of any unf or eseen dif f icult ies in car r ying out dispat ch
inst r uct ions. Dispat ch inst r uct ions shall be issued by f ax and conf ir med
by r et ur n f ax. I n t he event t hat or al inst r uct ions ar e used t hese shall be
complied wit h f or t hwit h and wr it t en conf ir mat ion shall be issued
promptly by Fax, e-mail, tele-printer or otherwise.
5.13 Network Switching
ZETCO needs t o car r y out net wor k swit ching in or der t o implement
maint enance out age pr ogr ammes, connect new syst ems, f acilit at e syst em
and / or pr ot ect ion t est s, cont r ol volt age, load management and t o
respond to emergency and fault situations on the transmission network.
ZETCO shall inf or m User s, wher e pr act icable, of swit ching act ions t hat
may be likely t o af f ect t he oper at ions of User s or secur it y of supply t o
Users. In this regard ZETCO shall consult with Users in order to find out
and take into consideration reasonable objections raised by the same.
Network swit ching may also occur aut omat ically and wit hout advance
war ning due t o oper at ion of pr ot ect ion equipment t o clear or isolat e
faults or established deliberately to mitigate negative impact of faults on
voltage and equipment loading.
5.14 System test
5.14.1 System Test Requirements
5.14.1.1 System Test, which involves the simulation of conditions or the

controlled application of unusual or extreme conditions that may have
an impact on the Grid or the User System, shall be carried out in a
manner that shall not endanger any personnel or the general public.
5.14.1.2 The threat to the integrity of Equipment, the Security of the Grid,
and the detriment to ZETCO and other Users shall be minimized when
undertaking a System Test on the Grid or the User System.
5.14.2 System Test Request
5.14.2.1 If ZETCO (or a User) wishes to undertake a System Test on the Grid
(or the User System), it shall submit a System Test Request that
contains the following:
The purpose and nature of the proposed System Test;

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The extent and condition of the Equipment involved; and
A proposed System Test Procedure specifying the switching
sequence and the timing of the switching sequence.
5.14.2.2 The Test Proponent shall provide sufficient time for the planning of
the proposed System Test shall determine the time required for each
type of System Test.
5.14.2.3 ZETCO may require additional information before approving the
proposed System Test if the information contained in the System
Test Request is insufficient or the proposed System Test Procedure
cannot ensure the safety of personnel and the Security of the Grid.
5.14.2.4 ZETCO shall determine and notify other Users, other than the
System Test Proponent, that may be affected by the proposed
System Test.
5.14.2.5 ZETCO may also initiate a System Test if it has determined that the
System Test is necessary to ensure the safety, Stability, Security,
and Reliability of the Grid.
5.14.3 System Test Group
5.14.3.1 Within one (1) month after the acceptance of a System Test Request,
ZETCO shall notify the System Test Proponent, (if it is not the
System Test Proponent) and the affected Users of the proposed
System Test. The notice shall contain the following:
j) The purpose and nature of the proposed System Test, the extent
and condition of the Equipment involved, the identity of the
System Test Proponent, and the affected Users;
k) An invitation to nominate representative(s) for the System Test
Group to be established to coordinate the proposed System Test;
and
l) If the System Test involves work or testing on HV and EHV
Equipment, the Safety Coordinators and the safety procedures
specified in the Electrical Safety Rules Hand Book shall be
adhered to.
5.14.3.2 The System Test Proponent, and the affected Users shall nominate
their representative(s) to the System Test Group within one (1)
month after receipt of the notice to ZETCO. ZETCO may decide to
proceed with the proposed System Test even if the affected Users
fail to reply within that period.
5.14.3.3 ZETCO shall establish a System Test Group and appoint a System
Test Coordinator, who shall act as chairman of the System Test

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Group. The System Test Coordinator may come from ZETCO or the
System Test Proponent.
5.14.3.4 The members of the System Test Group shall meet within one (1)
month after the Test Group is established. The System Test
Coordinator shall convene the System Test Group as often as
necessary.
5.14.3.5 The agenda for the meeting of the System Test Group shall include
the following:
(a) The details of the purpose and nature of the proposed System
Test and other matters included in the System Test Request;
(b) Evaluation of the System Test Procedure as submitted by the
System Test Proponent and making the necessary modifications to
come up with the final System Test Procedure;
(c) The possibility of scheduling simultaneously the proposed System
Test with any other test and with Equipment Maintenance which
may arise pursuant to the Maintenance Program requirements of
the Grid or Users; and
(d) The economic, operational, and risk implications of the proposed
System Test on the Grid, the System of other Users, and the
Scheduling and Dispatch of the Generating Plants.
5.14.3.6 The System Test Proponent, ZETCO (if it is not the System Test
Proponent) and the affected Users (including those which are not
represented in the System Test Group) shall provide the System Test
Group, upon request, with such details as the System Test Group
reasonably requires to carry out the proposed System Test.
5.14.4 System Test Program
5.14.4.1 Within two (2) months after the first meeting and at least one (1)
month prior to the date of the proposed System Test, the System
Test Group shall submit to ZETCO, the System Test Proponent and
the affected Users a proposed System Test Program which shall
contain the following:
(a) Plan for carrying out the System Test;

(b) System Test Procedure to be followed during the test including
the manner in which the System Test is to be monitored;
(c) List of responsible persons, including Safety Coordinators when
necessary, who will be involved in carrying out the System Test;
(d) An allocation of all testing costs among the affected parties; and

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(e) Such other matters as the System Test Group may deem
appropriate and necessary and are approved by the management of
the affected parties.
5.14.4.2 If the proposed System Test Program is acceptable to ZETCO, the
System Test Proponent and the affected Users, the final System
Test Program shall be constituted and the System Test shall proceed
accordingly. Otherwise, the System Test Group shall revise the
System Test Program.
5.14.4.3 If the System Test Group is unable to develop a System Test
Program or reach a decision in implementing the System Test
Program, ZETCO shall determine whether it is necessary to proceed
with the System Test to ensure the Security of the Grid.
5.14.4.4 The System Test Coordinator shall be notified in writing, as soon as
possible, of any proposed revision or amendment to the System Test
Program prior to the day of the proposed System Test. If the
System Test Coordinator decides that the proposed revision or
amendment is meritorious, he shall notify ZETCO, the System Test
Proponent, and the affected Users to act accordingly for the
inclusion thereof. The System Test Program shall then be carried out
with the revisions or amendments if the System Test Coordinator
received no objections.
5.14.4.5 If System conditions are abnormal during the scheduled day for the
System Test, the System Test Coordinator may recommend a
postponement of the System Test.
5.14.5 System Test Report
5.14.5.1 Within two (2) months or a shorter period as the System Test Group
may agree after the conclusion of the System Test, the System Test
Proponent shall prepare and submit a System Test Report to ZETCO,
the affected Users, and the members of the System Test Group.
5.14.5.2 After the submission of System Test Report, the System Test Group
shall be automatically dissolved.
5.15 Generating unit capability tests
5.15.1 Test Requirements
5.15.1.1 Tests shall be conducted, in accordance with the agreed procedure

and standards, to confirm the compliance of Generating Units for the
following:

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(a) Capability of Generating Units to operate within their registered
Generation parameters;
(b) Capability of the Generating Units to meet the applicable
requirements of the Grid Code;
(c) Capability to deliver the Ancillary Service that the Generator had
agreed to provide; and
(d) Availability of Generating Units in accordance with their capability
declaration.
5.15.1.2 All tests shall be recorded and witnessed by the authorized
representatives of ZETCO, Generator, and/or User.
5.15.1.3 The Generator shall demonstrate to ZETCO the reliability and
accuracy of the test instruments and Equipment to be used in the
test.
5.15.1.4 All tests shall be of sufficient duration and shall be conducted
according to The Power Purchase Agreement with ZPC or any other
Generator or Supplier except when there are reasonable grounds to
justify the necessity for further tests.
5.15.1.5 If a Generating Unit fails the test, the Generator shall correct the
deficiency within an agreed period to attain the relevant registered
parameters for that Generating Unit.
5.15.1.6 Once the Generator achieves the registered parameters of its
Generating Unit that previously failed the test, it shall immediately
notify ZETCO. ZETCO shall then require the Generator to conduct a
retest in order to demonstrate that the appropriate parameter has
already been restored to its registered value.
5.15.1.7 If a dispute arises relating to the failure of a Generating Unit to pass
a given test, ZETCO, the Generator and/or User shall seek to resolve
the dispute among them.
5.15.1.8 If the dispute cannot be resolved, one of the parties may submit the
issue to the respective Board, the Holding Company and the ZERC in
that order.
5.15.2 Tests to be performed

5.15.2.1 The React ive Power t est shall demonst r at e t hat t he Gener at ing Unit
meet s t he r egist er ed React ive Power Capabilit y r equir ement s. The
Gener at ing Unit shall pass t he t est if t he measur ed values ar e wit hin:
1.5 percent of the Capability as registered with ZETCO.
5.15.2.2 The Pr imar y Response t est shall demonst r at e t hat t he Generating
Unit has the capability to provide Primary Response
5.15.2.3 The Gener at ing Unit shall pass t he t est if t he measur ed r esponse in

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MW /Hz is within: 1.5 percent of the required level of response within
five (5) seconds.
5.15.2.4 The Fast St ar t capabilit y t est shall demonst r at e t hat t he Gener at ing
Unit has t he capabilit y t o aut omat ically St ar t -Up, synchr onize wit h
t he Gr id wit hin 15 minut es and be loaded up t o it s of f er ed capabilit y.
The Gener at ing Unit shall pass t he t est if it meet s t he Fast St ar t
capability requirements.
5.15.2.5 The Black St ar t t est shall demonst r at e t hat t he Gener at ing Plant
wit h Black St ar t cap-abilit y can implement a Black St ar t pr ocedur e.
To pass t he t est , t he Gener at ing Unit shall st ar t on it s own,
synchr onize wit h t he Gr id and car r y load wit hout t he need f or
external power supply.
5.15.2.6 The Declar ed Dat a capabilit y t est shall demonst r at e t hat t he
Gener at ing Unit can be scheduled and dispat ched in accor dance wit h
t he Declar ed Dat a. To pass t he t est , t he unit shall sat isf y t he abilit y
to achieve the Declared Data.
5.15.2.7 The Dispat ch accur acy t est shall demonst r at e t hat t he Gener at ing
Unit meet s t he r elevant Gener at ion Scheduling and Dispat ch
Parameters. The Generating Unit shall pass the test if:
(a) In the case of synchronization, the process is achieved

within: 1.5 minutes of the registered synchronization
time;
(b) In the case of synchronizing generation (if registered as
a Generation Scheduling and Dispatch Parameters), the
synchronizing generation achieved is within an error level
equivalent to 2.5% of Net Declared Capability;
(c) In the case of meeting ramp rates, the actual ramp rate
is within: Plus or minus 10% of the registered ramp rate;
(d) In the case of meeting Load reduction rates, the actual
Load reduction rate is within: plus or minus 10% of the
registered Load reduction rate; and
(e) In the case of all other Generation Scheduling and
Dispatch Parameters, values are within: plus or minus 1.5%
of the declared values.
5.15.2.8 The Ancillary Service acceptability test shall determine the
committed services in terms of parameter quantity or volume,
timeliness, and other operational requirements. Generators providing
Ancillary Services shall conduct the test or define the committed
service. However, monitoring by ZETCO of Ancillary Service
performance in response to System-derived inputs shall also be
carried out.

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5.16 Maintenance Requirements
5.16.1 Transformer Oil Containment
All transformers shall be placed on specially designed foundations. An

oil sump shall be provided in the switchyard at a lower level than the
transformer foundation.
The trench to the sump shall have a well-designed gradient with tile
finish to enable oil flow from transformer cavity.
5.16.2Equipment Maintenance
5.16.2.1 Maintenance Schedule for Switchgear
ZETCO shall design a maintenance schedule for annual inspections of the

annual conditions and performance of transformers and switchgear.
Compressed air systems for Circuit Breakers shall undergo a statutory

inspection and the dryness of the air should be ensured.
5.16.2.2 Maintenance of Transformer and Switchgear Dielectric Oil
Oil Samples shall be taken periodically and tested for moisture,

dielectric strength and decomposition products. Filtration or
Regeneration is recommended if oil tests are not satisfactory. The test
shall be done according to the following standards: IEC 599; IEC
422(1998); IEC 354; IEC 156 and IEC 296.
5.16.2.3 Maintenance of Power Transformers
The transformer shall be inspected regularly. Regular inspection,

annual checks and condition-based maintenance are essential for long,
trouble-free service.
5.16.3 Infrared Thermograph
Infrared Thermograph shall be carried out on the substation equipment

at least once a year to ascertain equipment availability and personnel
safety. The purpose of the infrared scanning is to check on loose
connections.

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5.16.4 Noise level measurements
Noise level measurements shall be done using a noise level meter.

Transformers, Coolers, Radiators, Auxiliaries and Air-conditioning plant
noise level shall be below specified limit of 78dB. Corrective measures
shall be taken if the limits exceed the above stated level.
5.16.4 Polychrobiphenyls (PCB) Management
All transformers and switchgear oil shall be tested for PCBs and if
contaminated, the oil container or the equipment in which the oil is
cont aminat ed shall be clear ly labelled PCB equipment f or per sonnel
protection. The contamination level above is 50ppm.
PCB Contaminated Waste disposal shall be by incineration.
5.16.5 Live Line / Dead Line Maintenance
Routine insulator inspection and replacement of damaged insulators shall

be carried out annually on all feeders.
For feeders deemed critical by ZETCO, live line inspection and

replacement of damaged insulators shall be carried out when and where
necessary.
5.16.6 Line Way Leaves Maintenance
Bush clearing and Track maintenance shall be carried out annually for all
Transmission and sub transmission lines.
5.16.7 Battery Maintenance
The total battery voltage shall be checked monthly. The total voltage
shall be equal to cell voltage x n. Where n is the number of cells in a
bank.
The voltage specific gravity and temperature of each battery cell

shall be measured and recorded every month. If the measured value is
outside the specified limits by SAZ standard, remedial action shall be
effected.
Electrolyte levels of all cells shall be checked monthly. If below

minimum level, it shall be topped up with distilled/ deionised water to
t he level mar ked Maximum
The float charge shall be set at cell rated voltage.

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5.16.8 Circuit Breaker Tests (SF6 And Vacuum)
Circuit breakers shall undergo annual timing test. The closing and
opening times shall be determined and compared to the manufactures
prescribed close open times. If outside the prescribed limits, then
appropriate remedial action shall be effected.
Circuit breakers shall undergo annual dynamic resistance tests to

ascertain contact integrity.

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SECTION 6
METERING CODE
6.1 Introduction
This Grid Code sets out a uniform policy in respect of electricity

metering at boundaries between entities (Connection Points) so that the
transfer of electrical energy is properly accounted for.
6.2 Objective
The objective of the Code is to define the minimum acceptable metering

standards for the purpose of accountability, billing of electrical energy
at the Connection Point as specified in the Connection Agreement.
The Code also specifies the requirement of calibration, testing and

commissioning for metering equipment. The Code broadly indicates the
technical features of various elements of the metering, security, meter
reading and the procedure for the resolution of disputes.
6.3 Scope
The scope of this Code covers the practices that shall be employed and
the practices that shall be provided for the measurement and recording
of various parameters like energy pulses, Active/Reactive power etc.
6.4 Application of the Metering Code
This Section of the Grid Code applies to all stakeholders in respect of

any metering point, which connects to the Transmission Grid. This
Section of the Grid Code sets out provisions relating to:
a) Provision, and maintenance of metering equipment;

b) Collection of metering data;
c) Accuracy of all equipment used in the process of electricity
metering;
d) Testing procedures to be adhered to;
e) Storage requirement for metering data;
f) Competencies and standards of performance; and
g) Relationship of entities involved in the electricity metering
industry.

ZIMBABWE GRID CODE
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ZERC shall monitor compliance to all matters covered by this section of
the Grid Code and shall design and effect appropriate penalties for
enforcing compliance.
6.5 Metering Equipment
The metering equipment at the Connection Point shall consist of some or

all of the following:
(a) Instrument transformers;

(b) Lightning protection;
(c) Revenue class meters;
(d) Integrating pulse recorder(s) and time source; and
(e) Test interfaces to include test blocks
6.6 Active Energy and Demand Metering
Act ive Ener gy and Demand Met er ing shall be r equir ed at ever y
Connect ion Point . Act ive Ener gy and Power expor t ed or impor t ed by
par t ies shall be met er ed and gener at ing unit s/ Gr id subst at ions shall be
monitored as required.
6.7 Tariff Metering
Tar if f met er ing shall be designed and inst alled so as t o measur e impor t s
f r om gener at or s and expor t s t o Gr id User s. As f ar as possible t he t ar if f
met er ing shall be connect ed at t he deliver y point i.e., f or ener gy
expor t ed f r om gener at or s t o t he Gr id at t he HV side of t he gener at or
t r ansf or mer (st ep up t r ansf or mer ) and f or ener gy impor t ed f r om t he
Grid for station consumption on the HV side of the station transformer.
Tar if f met er ing f or t he impor t s/ expor t s on int er -connect or s shall be

inst alled at t he r eceiving/ sending subst at ion. The met er s, however , must
be configured to compensate for losses from/to the National Border.
Similarly, at the Connection Point with Grid Users, two meters shall be
installed - One Main and the other Check.
6.7.1 The meter pulses shall be made available to ZETCO to allow

separate recording of the input and output Active Energy and
Power at each Connection Point.
6.7.2 The Reactive Energy and Demand metering shall be provided to
independently meter input and output from the Grid. It shall

ZIMBABWE GRID CODE
_______________________________________________________
measure all quadrants in which Reactive Power flow is possible.
6.7.3 The meter pulses shall be made available to allow separate
recording of the input and output Reactive Energy and Demand at
each Connection Point.
6.8 Integrating Pulse Meters
6.8.1 To accommodat e t he oper at ion of t he Gr id, I nt egr at ing Pulse Met er s

shall be pr ovided at ever y Connect ion Point t o r ecor d Act ive and
React ive int egr at ed Demand dat a f or use in billing and set t lement s
f or Ener gy ser vices pr ovided by t he Gr id and f or t r ansactions
between Users.
6.8.2 All I nt egr at ing Pulse Met er s shall be capable of elect r onic
downloading of st or ed dat a or manual on-sit e int er r ogat ion by t he
Meter Operator.
6.8.3 All I nt egr at ing Pulse Met er s shall have f ail saf e st or age f or at least
t wo mont hs of int egr at ed demand dat a and be capable of r et aining
r eadings and t ime of day f or at least t wo (2) days wit hout an ext er nal
power source.
6.9 Responsibility For Metering Installations
6.9.1 Respect ive gener at or s shall own all gener at ion Main Met er ing and t he
generators ar e r esponsible f or ensur ing t hat all such met er ing
complies wit h t he met er ing st andar ds and r equir ement s of t his code.
The Check Meter will be the responsibility of ZETCO.
6.9.2 All t ar if f met er ing at t he Connect ion Point shall be t he r esponsibilit y
of ZETCO. I n t his case, ZETCO shall own t he Main Met er and Gr id
User the Check Meter.
6.9.3 The pr ovisions of t he r elevant int er connect ion agr eement shall gover n
all metering at SAPP interconnection points.
6.9.4 Ener gy consumed by a gener at ing st at ion and dr awn f r om ZETCO Gr id
shall be measur ed by t ar if f met er ing. Gener at or s shall pay f or t his
energy drawn through the station transformer from the gridGrid. The
met er ing shall be connect ed on t he HV side of t he st at ion
transformer and shall belong to ZETCO.
6.9.5 ZETCO shall be r esponsible t o ensur e t hat all point s ident if ied t o be
metering points have metering installations.
6.9.6 ZETCO shall r ecover it s cost s f or met er ing inst allat ion t hr ough
connection charges.

ZIMBABWE GRID CODE
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6.9.7 ZETCO shall be r esponsible t o manage and collect met er ing
information for the Connection Point.
6.9.8 Par t ies connect ed or want ing t o connect t o t he Gr id shall pr ovide
t he ZETCO wit h all inf or mat ion deemed necessar y t o enable
performance of its metering duties.
6.10 Metering equipment standards
6.10.1 Voltage Transformers
6.10.1.1 The volt age t r ansf or mer s shall comply wit h t he I EC 44 St andar d
or it s equivalent nat ional st andar d f or met er ing, and should be of
t he 0.5 accur acy class. These volt age t r ansf or mer s shall be
connect ed Wye- Wye wit h bot h st ar point s gr ounded t o a
gr ounding Gr id of accept able r esist ance and shall pr ovide a f our -
wire secondary connection.
6.10.1.2 The volt age dr op in each phase of t he volt age t r ansf or mer
connect ions of t he same accur acy and class shall not exceed 0.2 V.
I t shall be connect ed only t o a billing met er wit h a bur den t hat
shall not affect the accuracy of measurement.
6.10.2 Current Transformers
6.10.2.1 The cur r ent t r ansf or mer s shall compr ise t hr ee unit s f or a t hr ee-
phase set , each of which complies wit h t he I EC 44 St andar d or it s
equivalent nat ional st andar d f or met er ing, and is of 0.5 accur acy
class. I t is pr ef er r ed t hat t wo (2) cur r ent t r ansf or mer cor es wit h
cor r esponding number of secondar y coils per phase be pr ovided,
one connect ed t o t he Main Met er and t he ot her t o t he Check
Meter.
6.10.2.2 The cur r ent t r ansf or mer ' s r at ed secondar y cur r ent shall be
eit her 1 or 5 amper es. The neut r al conduct or shall be ef f ect ively
gr ounded at a single point . The cur r ent t r ansf or mer shall be
connect ed only t o a billing met er wit h a bur den t hat shall not
affect the accuracy of measurement.
6.10.3 Meters
6.10.3.1 Met er s shall be of t he t hr ee-phase f our wir e t ype r at ed f or t he

r equir ed sit e, comply wit h t he appr opr iat e I EC St andar ds or t heir

ZIMBABWE GRID CODE
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equivalent nat ional st andar ds, f or st at ic wat t -hour met er and
ot her t ypes of met er s, and be of t he accur acy class of 0.2 or
equivalent . The met er s shall measur e and locally display at least
t he kW, kWh, kVAR, kVARh, and cumulat ive Demand, wit h t he
features of time-of-use, maintenance records, and pulse output.
6.10.3.2 A cumulative record of the parameters measured shall be available
on t he met er . Bi-directional met er s shall have t wo such r ecor ds
available. I f combined Act ive Ener gy and React ive Ener gy met er s
ar e pr ovided, t hen a separ at e r ecor d shall be pr ovided f or each
measur ed quant it y and dir ect ion. The loss of auxiliar y supply t o
the meter shall not erase these records.
6.10.3.3 For all met er ing inst allat ions, pulse out put shall be pr ovided f or
each measur ed quant it y. The pulse out put shall be f r om a t hr ee-
wir e t er minal wit h pulse dur at ion in t he r ange f r om 40 t o 80
milliseconds (pr ef er ably select able) and wit h select ive pulse
f r equency or r at e. The minimum pulse f r equency shall comply wit h
t he I EC St andar d or it s equivalent nat ional st andar d, f or t he
shor t est int egr at ion per iod and t he accur acy class of t he met er .
Pulse out put shall be galvanically isolat ed f r om the
volt age/ cur r ent t r ansf or mer s being measur ed and f r om t he
auxiliar y supply input t er minals. The insulat ion test volt age shall
be 1000 VAC, 50 Hz and applied for one minute.
6.10.4 Integrating Pulse Recorders
6.10.4.1 I nt egr at ing Pulse Recor der s shall be capable of r ecording

int egr at ed Demand per iods adj ust able bet ween f if t een (15)
minutes and sixty (60) minutes.
6.10.4.2 Each r ecor der shall be capable of elect r onic dat a t r ansf er
t hr ough dedicat ed t elephone lines or ZETCO s communicat ion
channels or manual downloading of data on-site.
6.10.4.3 The int egr at ing pulse r ecor der s shall pr ovide a r ecor d f or
r ef er ence at a f ut ur e t ime. The r ecor d shall be suit able f or
reference for a period of at least one year after it was generated.
The int egr at ing pulse r ecor der shall be r egular ly int er r ogat ed and
t he r ecor d shall also be maint ained at t he r ecor der f or t wo (2)
complet e billing per iods bet ween one (1) int er r ogat ion or sixt y
(60) days, whichever is longer.
6.10.4.4 The t ime r ef er ence used wit h t he Demand r ecor der shall ensur e
t hat t he Demand per iod accur acy of t his int egr at ing pulse
recorder is with a time error of no more than +/-1 second.

ZIMBABWE GRID CODE
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6.10.4.5 All r evenue met er ing inst allat ions shall r ecor d t ime, based on t he
Central African standard time.
6.10.4.6 The st ar t of each demand per iod shall be wit hin +/ -30 seconds of
t he standard time.
6.10.4.7 Repr ogr amming of int egr at ing pulse r ecor der s shall be done as
soon as possible within one billing cycle if there is a time error.
6.11 Metering Equipment Testing And Maintenance
6.11.1 Instrument Transformer Testing
6.11.1.1 Test on t he I nst r ument Tr ansf or mer s at t he Connect ion Point ,

shall be done by ZETCO or a par t y aut hor ized by ZETCO and t he
concer ned User dur ing t he Test and Commissioning st age and t hen
at least once ever y f ive (5) year s or as t he need ar ises due t o
quer ies on accur acy. The tests shall be car r ied out as specif ied in
this Section of the Grid Code or an agreed equivalent international
standard.
6.11.1.2 An I nst r ument t r ansf or mer shall not be connect ed t o a load
beyond it s r at ed bur den and shall be oper at ed at t he opt imum
bur den r ange t o achieve maximum accur acy of t he met er ing
syst em. Bur den Test shall be conduct ed dur ing commissioning, r e-
inst allat ion or r elocat ion or when r equest ed by t he User and/ or
t he ZETCO. Loading r esist or s f or compensat ing low bur dens may
be allowed as long as accuracy level is sustained.
6.11.2 Meter Testing and Calibration
ZETCO and t he user shall t est and seal t he met er s at least once a year
and r ecalibr at e or r eplace such met er s if f ound t o be out side t he
acceptable accuracy stipulated in the Grid Code.
6.11.3 Request for Test
6.11.3.1 A Grid User or ZETCO may request a test of the installed

metering equipment if it has reason to believe that the
performance of the Equipment is not within the accuracy limits
set forth in clause 6.7.3 of this Grid Code . The test shall be done
by the two concerned parties or an independent entity approved
by both parties.

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6.11.3.2 If the meter Equipment fails the test, ZETCO shall pay for the
cost of the test. If the meter Equipment passes the test, the
party who requested the test shall pay for the test cost.
6.11.4 Maintenance of Metering Equipment

6.11.4.1 The metering equipment at the Connection Point shall be
maintained by ZETCO. All test results, maintenance programs, and
sealing records shall be kept for the life of the Equipment. The
Equipment data and test records shall be made available to
authorized parties.
6.11.4.2 ZETCO shall repair the metering System as soon as practical and
in any event within two (2) days if a metering System malfunctions
or maintenance occurs. ZETCO shall be allowed to charge the
metering services provided, subject to the approval of the ZERC.
6.11.5 Metering Equipment Security
ZETCO shall take all reasonable steps to prevent unauthorized

interference with the Equipment. ZETCO shall provide seals and other
appropriate devices to prevent unauthorized alteration on site settings
and calibrations. The metering Equipment cubicle shall be completely and
securely locked and sealed, provided any register on Equipment is visible
and accessible. ZETCO shall also provide appropriate security against
unauthorized access and against corruption of data in transmission.
6.12 Meter Reading And Metering Data
6.12.1 Integrating Pulse Metering Data
6.12.1.1 ZETCO shall download Integrating Pulse Metering data (the actual
hourly data on generation and off-takes at each Connection Point)
for billing and settlement purposes. Each User shall be provided
full access to the data for his Connection Point.
6.12.1.2 The pulses from two or more meters may be combined into one
integrating Pulse Recorder provided all the requirements of this
Section of the Grid Code are met.
6.12.1.3 The meter pulses that need to be integrated into the recorder
are:
(a) Act ive Ener gy and Demand incoming and out going in t he
Grid; and

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(b) React ive Ener gy and Demand incoming and out going in t he
Grid
6.12.1.4 Pr ovisions shall be made by ZETCO t o per mit on-site as well as

remote interrogation of the Integrating Pulse Recorder.
6.12.2 Running Total of Active Energy and Power
At input / out put connect ions, t he Act ive Ener gy and Act ive Power
met er ing shall pr ovide t he r unning t ot al of t he Ener gy. Combined met er s
which measur e bot h t he Act ive Ener gy and Act ive Power input t o and
out put f r om t he Gr id shall have t he r unning t ot als available f or each
measur ed quant it y, each dir ect ion, and each quadr ant or combinat ion of
quadrants.
6.12.3 Running Total of Reactive Energy and Power
At input / out put connect ions, t he React ive Ener gy and React ive Power
met er ing shall pr ovide t he r unning t ot als of t he Ener gy. Combined met er s
which measur e bot h t he React ive Ener gy and React ive Power input t o and
out put f r om t he Gr id shall have t he r unning t ot als available f or each
measur ed quant it y, each dir ect ion, and each quadr ant or combinat ion of
quadrants.
6.12.4 Billing and Settlement Procedure
The billing pr ocedur es shall be as out lined in Ser vice Levels Agr eement s
and/or Power Purchase and Power Supply Agreements
6.13 Settlement Audit Procedure
6.13.1 Right to Request Settlement Audit
The User shall have the right to request an audit of the settlement
data related to its account and the right to choose an independent third
party qualified to perform the audit. ZETCO, Generators and Grid
Users shall cooperate in the auditing process.
6.13.2 Allocation of Audit Cost
The ext er nal audit or has t o be appr oved by all concer ned par t ies. The
requesting party is responsible for all outside auditor costs.

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6.13.3 Audit Results
The audit results shall be issued to the billing party who shall issue a
response to the audit report, including any adjustment in account
billing/payments proposed.
6.13.4 Audit Appeals
I f any User disagr ees wit h t he billing par t y s r esponse t o t he audit ,

that response may be appealed to ZERC.
6.14 Confidentiality
Metering data and passwords are confidential information and shall be

treated as such at all times.
7 References
The following standards shall be applicable as relevant to meters and

associated equipment.
(i) Electricity meters class 0.5, 1 and 2 BS 5685

single-phase and poly-phase, single rate
and multi-rate watt-hour meters.
(ii) Insulation test for electric relays IEC 255-5
(iii) Alternating current static watt-hour IEC 687
meters for active energy (classes 0.25
and 0.5 S)
(iv) Standard for Current Transformers IEC 44
(v) Standard for Voltage Transformers IEC 44

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SECTION 7
PROTECTION CODE
7.1 Introduction
This Section specifies the minimum protection requirements as well as typical

settings, to ensure adequate performance of the power network as experienced
by the customers. ZETCO shall at all times install and maintain protection
installations that comply with the principles and specifications of this Section.
7.2 Objective
The objective of this Protection Code is to define the minimum protection

requirements for any equipment connected to the Grid. The objective of the
Protection Code is to define minimum protection requirements for any system or
equipment connected to the Grid. This is done in order to:
Ensure agreed power quality to customers

Minimise damage to primary plant
Pr event damage t o healt hy equipment t hat conduct s f ault cur r ent dur ing
faults
Restore supply over the remaining healthy network
Sustain stability and integrity of the power System
Limit safety hazard to the power utility personnel and public.
7.3 General Principles
Protection schemes are generally divided into:

Equipment protection and
System protection.
The main functions of equipment protection are to selectively and rapidly detect
and disconnect a f ault on t he pr ot ect ed cir cuit . The main f unct ion of Syst em
pr ot ect ion is t o r espond t o a Syst em condit ion as opposed t o a Syst em f ault e.g.
under f r equency, volt age slide, out of st ep or sub synchr onous r esonance and
undertake appropriate automatic actions to maintain power network integrity.
The pr ot ect ion f unct ions ar e consider ed adequat e when t he pr ot ect ion r elays
perform correctly in terms of:
Dependability
Security

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Speed of operation
Selectivity
Sensitivity
All Grid users shall ensure correct and appropriate settings of protection to
achieve effective, removal of faulty equipment within the clearance time
specified in Section 7.6 of this Grid Code. Protection settings at the Connection
Point shall not be altered, or protection bypassed and/or disconnected without
consultation and agreement of ZETCO and the Grid User. In the case where
protection is bypassed and/or disconnected, by agreement, then the cause must
be rectified and the protection restored to normal condition as quickly as
possible. If agreement has not been reached the electrical equipment will be
removed from service forthwith.
ZERC shall monitor compliance to all matters covered by this section of the
Grid Code and shall design and effect appropriate penalties for enforcing
compliance.
7.4 Protection Coordination at the Connection Point
ZETCO shall be r esponsible f or co-or dinat ion of pr ot ect ion at t he Connect ion
Point and shall invest igat e any mal-f unct ion of pr ot ect ion or ot her
unsatisfactory protection issues at the Connection Point.
Grid Users shall take prompt action to correct any protection mal-function.
7.5 Testing of Protection Equipment
ZETCO shall conduct per iodic t est ing of equipment and syst ems t o ensur e
t hese ar e per f or ming t o t he designed specif icat ions. Per iodic t est s must be
performed within a period of two years. Each Grid User is responsible for tests
on own equipment and t est r esult s shall be submit t ed t o ZETCO. The t est s ar e
t o be done as per t he t est pr ocedur es det ailed under t his Sect ion of t he Gr id
Code and as specified from time to time by ZETCO.
7.6 Fault Clearance Times
From a stability consideration the maximum fault clearance times for faults on
any Gr id User s syst em dir ect ly connect ed t o t he Gr id, or any f ault s on t he Gr id
itself, are as follows:

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Allowable Maximum Clearance Times:
400 kV 100 milliseconds

Higher volt ages have gener ally f ast er clear ance t imes because of t he cr it ical
nat ur e of such f ault s on t he over all syst em. However , appr opr iat e discr iminat ion
should be obser ved when pr ot ect ion set t ings ar e applied. Slower f ault clear ance
t imes f or f ault s on a Gr id User s syst em may be agr eed t o but only if , in
ZETCO s opinion, syst em condit ions allow t his.
7.7 Generator Protection Requirements
All Generating Units and all associated electrical equipment of the Generator
connected to the Grid shall be protected by adequate protection so that the
Grid does not suffer due to any disturbance originating from the Generating
Unit. The minimum protection for the generators shall constitute the following:
Overcurrent and Earth Fault

Differential Protection
Reverse power protection
Overvoltage protection
Negative phase sequence
Field failure
7.8 Transmission Line (220- 400kV) Protection Requirements
Every Transmission line taking off from a Generating Station or a sub-station

shall have Main and Back Up protection as mentioned below. ZETCO shall notify
Grid Users of any changes in its policy on protection from time to time.
Protection requirements for transmission differ slightly for short and long lines.
For the purposes of this Grid Code short line are up to 5 km.

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7.8.1 Transmission Line Protection Design Standard
On long lines t he main pr ot ect ion shall be Dist ance Pr ot ect ion and on
shor t lines (5km and below) it shall be Dif f er ent ial Pr ot ect ion or a
combination of t he t wo. Tr ansmission lines shall be equipped wit h
adequat e pr ot ect ion syst ems, which include one or t wo discr eet Dist ance
Pr ot ect ion Relays (Main 1 and Main 2). Wher e Main 1 and Main 2
pr ot ect ion syst ems ar e inst alled and wher e pr act icable, t hese shall be
designed t o oper at e independent ly of t he ot her . The r elays should be
connect ed t o separ at e measur ing t r ansf or mer s and auxiliar y supplies
fused separately.
The minimum r equir ement f or t he pr ot ect ion of t he pr ot ect ed line is

t hr ee f or war d zones. Zone 1 should nor mally be 80% of t he pr ot ect ed
line and zone 2 and zone 3 should be 120% and 150% 0f t he pr ot ect ed
line r espect ively. Zone 2 cover s 100% of t he pr ot ect ed line and 20% of
t he next shor t est adj acent line. Zone 3 cover s 100% of t he pr ot ect ed
line, 50% of t he next adj acent shor t est line and should have 15% r ever se
reach on the protected line.
The Dist ance Pr ot ect ion should also oper at e on dif f er ent schemes
(per missive over -r each and per missive under -r each). Dir ect ional Ear t h
Fault pr ot ect ion shall be incor por at ed in t he Dist ance Pr ot ect ion Relays
or inst alled as a separ at e r elay t o pr ovide mor e sensit ive pr ot ect ion
against high impedance Ear t h Fault s. Back up over -cur r ent and Ear t h
Fault protection shall be installed.
Short feeders should be equipped with line Differential Protection Relays

in addit ion t o all t he ot her pr ot ect ion t o impr ove per f or mance f or high
resistance faults.
7.8.2 Automatic Re closing (ARC) On Transmission Lines
The most impor t ant consider at ion in t he applicat ion of aut omat ic r e
closing (ARC) on t r ansmission lines is t he maint enance of syst em st abilit y
and synchr onism. Aut omat ic r e closing is init iat ed f ollowing Zone 1
oper at ion of t he Dist ance Pr ot ect ion Relay and subsequent t r ipping of
the circuit breaker for a fault on the line.
ARC sequence will compr ise a single phase High Speed Aut o Re closing
(HSAR) f ollowed by t hr ee phase Delayed Aut o Re closing (DAR) if
necessar y. Not e t hat f or t hr ee phase f ault only t he delayed aut o r e
closing should be initiated

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7.8.3 Power Swing Blocking
Power swings ar e var iat ions in power f low which occur when t he volt age
of gener at or s at dif f er ent point s of t he power syst em slip r elat ive t o
each ot her t o cat er f or changes of load magnit ude and dir ect ion or as a
r esult of f ault s and t heir subsequent clear ance. The r esult of a power
swing may cause t he impedance pr esent ed t o a dist ance r elay t o move
int o t he r elay-oper at ing char act er ist ic. I n t he case of a t r ansient power
swing, it is impor t ant t hat t he dist ance r elay should not t r ip and should
allow the power system to return to a stable condition.
Most dist ance r elays on t he t r ansmission syst em have an opt ional power
swing-blocking f eat ur e available. ZETCO will ensur e t hat t his f eat ur e is
enabled for the Transmission lines.
7.9 Sub transmission (132kV and below) Lines
Sub Tr ansmission f eeder s shall be pr ot ect ed by a single Dist ance

Pr ot ect ion. Sub Tr ansmission lines pr ot ect ion shall consist of main and
back up pr ot ect ion. Main pr ot ect ion shall be a single Dist ance Pr ot ect ion
Relay consist ing of t hr ee f or war d zones. The zones ar e as per Sect ion
7.8.1 of t his Gr id Code. Back up shall be pr ovided by def init e t ime and
inver se def init e minimum t ime (I DMT) Over -Cur r ent and Ear t h Fault
Relays. Shor t f eeder s should be equipped wit h addit ional dif f er ent ial
Relays t o pr ovide mor e sensit ive pr ot ect ion f or high impedance f ault s.
High-speed aut o r e closing is deemed necessar y f or st abilit y pur poses.
However , most sub t r ansmission lines ar e r adial and less cr it ical t o
syst em st abilit y. Sub Tr ansmission lines t her ef or e do not necessar ily
need HSAR, unless specif ied by ZETCO. Thr ee phase delayed Aut o Re
Closing should t her ef or e be employed on zone 1 f ault s on t he sub
transmission system for all faults.
7.10 Distribution Line Protection Requirements:
For the purposes of this Grid Code, Distribution shall refer to all Connection
Points at 33kV and below. All 33 kV and 11 kV lines at Connection points shall be
provided with a minimum of Over Current and Earth Fault protection with or
without directional features as given below.
7.10.1 Plain Radial Feeders:
Non-directional time lag Over Current and Earth Fault Relay with suitable
settings to obtain discrimination between adjacent relay stations.

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7.10.2 Parallel Feeders/ Ring Feeders:
Directional time lag Over Current and Earth Fault Relays.
7.10.3 Long Feeders/Transformer Feeders
For long feeders (above 5 km) or transformer feeders, the Over Current Relays
should incorporate a high set instantaneous element.
7.11 Transformer Protection Requirements:
7.11.1 Generating Station/ Transmission System
All windings of Aut o Tr ansf or mer s and power t r ansf or mer of EHV class shall be
pr ot ect ed by dif f er ent ial and Balanced Ear t h Fault (BEF)/ Rest r ict ed Ear t h
Fault (REF) Relays. I n addit ion t her e shall be back up t ime lag Over Cur r ent and
Ear t h Fault pr ot ect ion. For t r ansf or mer s oper at ing in par allel, Back up Over
Cur r ent and Ear t h Fault pr ot ect ion shall have a dir ect ional f eat ur e at t he
Connect ion Point . Over Cur r ent Ear t h Fault The Over Cur r ent Relays should
incor por at e a high set inst ant aneous element . I n addit ion t o elect r ical
pr ot ect ion, gas oper at ed r elays, winding t emper at ur e pr ot ect ion and oil
temperature protection shall be provided.
7.11.2 Distribution system at Connection Point
For smaller transformers of HV class on the Distribution System Differential

Protection shall be provided for 10 MVA and above along with back up time lag
Over Current and Earth Fault protection (with directional feature for parallel
operations).
Transformers of 1.6 MVA and above and less than 10 MVA shall be protected by
time lag Over Current, Earth Fault and instantaneous REF relays. In addition all
transformers of 1.6 MVA and above shall be provided with gas-operated relays,
winding temperature and oil temperature protection.
7.12 Sub- Station Bus Bar Protection
All Users shall provide adequate bus zone protection for substation
bus bars in all 220 KV substations to 400kV substations.

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7.13 Teleprotection Requirements
7.13.1 Introduction
Tele protection is used in the ZETCO network as part of the overall protection
schemes associated with High Voltage networks in order to achieve fast and
selective fault clearances indipendent of the fault location and system
conditions.
Teleprotection relays are positioned between the station protection relays and
the Power Line Carrier Equipment to receive and send inter tripping signals
between substations.
7.13.2 Characteristics of Teleprotection
Important criteria for protection signalling equipment are security,

dependability and transmission time.
7.13.3 Teleprotection Schemes
7.13.3.1 Direct Transfer Trip (DTT)
Transfer Tripping shall be applied on all substations and transmission lines with
Distance Protection schemes at both ends and for busbar protection scheme.
DTT shall be set to operate for Distance Protection zone 1 operation. Receipt of
the signal at the remote end initiates the tripping immediately at this end.
7.13.3.2 Permissive Under Reach Transfer Trip (PUTT)
PUTT shall be set to operate for under reaching Zone 1 elements of the
Distance Protection Relay operation, trip the associated breaker and send an
inter trip signal to the remote end. Receipt of the carrier signal and the
operation of the zone 2 elements cause an instantaneous trip of the breaker at
this end. The scheme shall afford fast fault clearance for faults occurring at
the ends of the line
7.13.3.3 Permissive over reach Transfer Trip (POTT)
POTT shall be set to operate for the over reaching zone 2 elements of the
Distance Protection, trip the associated breaker and send an inter trip signal via
the tele protection relay to the remote end. Receipt of the carrier signal and
the operation of the over reaching Zone 2 elements at this end causes an
instantaneous trip of the breaker at this end. The scheme shall afford fast
clearance of faults in the zone 2 part of the protected lines.

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7.13.3.4 Blocking Schemes
Blocking schemes shall be applied where the Distance Protection Relay zone 3
Reverse looking elements are used to block instantaneous tripping of the remote
relay for Zone 2 faults external to the protected line section. In this scheme,
signalling is only initiated only for external faults and signalling transmission
takes place over healthy line section. Fast fault clearance occurs when the signal
is received and the over reaching zone 2 elements looking into the line operate.
7.14 Over voltage Protection
Over voltages in the system are caused by lightning surges, switching surges and
sudden load throw off. Over voltage surges cause possible failure of insulation
on transformers, motors and other related electrical equipment.
They also cause possible flashovers on highly stressed points external or
internal of to equipment.
7.14.1 Protection against Lightning Over voltages
This shall be achieved through the following;
7.14.1.1 Rod Gaps
These shall be applied across insulator string or bushing insulators.The gap shall
be set to allow the breakdown of the insulation medium at voltages above 140%
of nominal as specif ied in t he ZETCO s Par amet er Guidelines f or Pr ot ect ion Test
Document Number PTOR 020 R 00.
7.14.1.2 Horn Gaps
These shall be applied above overhead lines or substations to provide effective

protection against direct strike on line conductors, towers and substation
equipment. All sub transmission and transmission overhead lines shall be
provided with Horn Gaps. Horn Gaps shall be set to provide effective protection
against direct strikes on line conductors, towers and substation equipment as
specified by ZETCO.
7.14.1.3 Lightning Masks
These shall be applied above buildings to protect them against direct lightning
strikes. All substation buildings shall be provided with lightning masks for
protection against direct lightning strikes. The lightning masks shall be designed
as specified by ZETCO.

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7.14.1.4 Surge Arrestors
These shall be applied on lines terminating at the substations and on the

transformer terminals so that they divert over voltages to earth without
causing short circuits. The surge arrestors shall be as specified by ZETCO.
7.15 Protection Against Switching Surges at the Connecting Point
7.15.1 Where it is recommended through studies, shunt reactors and or pre-

closing resistors on circuit breakers shall be installed to protect
against switching surges.
7.15.2 All distribution circuits at the Connection Point shall be equipped with
surge suppressors and arrestors to limit over voltages.
7.16 Protection of Compensating Equipment
7.16.1 Protection of Reactors
All reactors shall be protected at the minimum, by Over Current and

Earth Fault Protection, Differential Protection, Restricted Earth
Fault Protection, Gas operated and temperature relays.
7.16.2 Protection of Capacitors
All Capacitors shall be protected by a minimum of Over Current and

Earth Fault Relays.
7.16.3 Protection of Static Var Compensators
All Static Var Compensators shall be protected by Over Current and

Earth Fault Relays.
7.17 Under frequency Load Shedding
ZETCO shall employ an automatic Load Shedding scheme when frequency falls to
48.8 HZ and below. The Load Shedding scheme shall be in stages as follows:
7.17.1 Stage 1 is set at 48.8 Hertz and disconnects a total of 20% of the
demand
7.17.2 Stage 2 is set at 48.5 Hertz and disconnects a total of 10% of the
demand
7.17.3 Stage 3 is set at48.2 Hertz and disconnects a total of 10% of the
demand

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7.17.4 Stage 4 is set at 47.5 Hertz and disconnects most of the remaining
loads leaving essential services.
7.18 Safety Protection Requirements
7.18.1 Fire Protection
All electrical energised equipment is capable of causing fire if proper

usage and handling procedures are not adhered to.
All ZETCO substations and Connection Points should be equipped with

appropriate electrical fire extinguishers located at strategic points at
each substation. These shall be tested on annual basis.
Fire fighting system shall where appropriate be automatic and in all

instances be adequate. The system shall be a combination of fire alarm
system and transformer water spray system. The system shall be
tested annually.
All the Power Transformers in a substation deemed critical by ZETCO

shall be equipped with water spray system (mulsifire protection).
The transformers in the switchyard shall be provided with barrier walls.

The walls shall be covered with refractory bricks. The wall shall prevent
the spreading of fire from one transformer to another.
Fireguards should be created and maintained around the perimeter of

every substation and connection point.
All fuels capable of causing fire such as petrol and diesel should be
stored at sites away from electrical plant in every substation and
Connection Point.
Adequate precautions shall be taken and protection shall be provided

against fir hazards to all indoor equipment.
7.18.2 Personnel Protection
All personnel that have to carry out any works at the Connection Point
or ZETCO Substation shall abide by the ZESA Safety Rules and any
other Safety requirements that shall be put in place by ZETCO from
time to time. As a protection measure to personnel against electrical
hazards the following shall be observed at all times.

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7.18.3 Visitors
Visitors to a Connection Point or ZETCO Substation

All visitors to the Connection Point or ZETCO substation shall obtain
t he r elevant aut hor it y t o ent er and sign t he Visit or s Live Enclosure
Permit before entering.
7.18.4 Equipment Switching
All switching in the Connection Point or ZETCO substation shall be

carried out by a ZETCO Senior Authorised Person under the recorded
Instruction of a ZETCO Controller.
7.18.5 Carrying out Works at the Connection Point

All works at the Connection Point or any part of the ZETCO Network
shall be carried out under any of the following ZESA Safety
Documents or any document that shall be specified by ZETCO from
time to time, depending on the nature of works being carried out.
Limitation of Access Document
Permit to Work Document
Live Line Permit to Work Document
Sanction for Test Document
7.19 Earthing Requirements For Substations
7.19.1 Earthing Systems
All substations Earthing Systems should have Earth Resistance lower

than 0.5 ohms for effective discharge of lightning or over voltages
to earth.
The current carrying paths of an Earthing System should have

enough capacity to deal with maximum fault current
Earthing Mat shall be provided below ground level and earth

electrodes shall be driven into ground at several points and shall be
connected to the Earthing Mat to form an Earthing Mesh.
All structures, transformer tanks, breakers, equipment panels shall
be connected to this mat by galvanised steel strips.

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7.19.2 Periodic Checks on Earthing Systems
7.19.2.1 Buried elements of the earthing system should be checked for

condition at random points as and when necessary but not exceeding a
period of five (5) years.
7.19.2.2 Circuit continuity should be checked between earthing devices and
earthed elements. Open circuits and high resistance connections
should be investigated and rectified when regular maintenance is
being carried out.
7.19.2.3 Earthing resistance should be measured and if more than 0.5 ohms, it
should be reduced by the addition of any of the following;
Sodium Chloride (Common Salt)

Calcium Chloride
Sodium Carbonate
Copper Sulphate
Charcoal
Soft Coke
7.20 Test and Commissioning Procedures
Test and Commissioning Procedures shall be carried out in accordance with the ZETCO
standards as specified in the following documents:
7.19.1 Guidelines for Power Systems Protection and Control - PROT 001 R00
7.19.2 Transformer Protection Planned Maintenance Procedure PROT 002 R00
7.19.3 Transformer Protection Planned Maintenance Instructions PROT 003 R00
7.19.4 Transformer Protection Planned Maintenance Records PROT 004 R00
7.19.5 Feeder Protection Planned Maintenance Procedure PROT 005 R00
7.19.6 Feeder Protection Planned Maintenance Instructions PROT 006 R00
7.19.7 Feeder Protection Planned Maintenance Records PROT 007 R00
7.19.8 Transformer Protection Commissioning Procedure PROT 008 R00
7.19.9 Transformer Protection Commissioning Instructions PROT 009 R00
7.19.10 Transformer Protection Commissioning Records PROT 010 R00
7.19.11 Feeder Protection Commissioning Procedure PROT 011 R00
7.19.12 Feeder Protection Commissioning Instructions PROT 012 R00
7.19.13 Feeder Protection Commissioning Records PROT 013 R00
7.19.14 Generator Protection Planned Maintenance Procedure PROT 014 R00
7.19.15 Generator Protection Planned Maintenance Instructions PROT 015 R00
7.19.16 Generator Protection Planned Maintenance Records PROT 016 R00
7.19.17 Generator Protection Commissioning Procedure PROT 017R00
7.19.18 Generator Protection Commissioning Instructions PROT 018R00
7.19.19 Generator Protection Commissioning Records PROT 019R00
7.19.20 Parameter Guidelines for Protection Tests - PROT 020 R00

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7.21 Data Requirements:
Grid Users shall provide ZETCO with all data concerning Protection in their
system that is connected to the Grid for as specified in Section 8 of this Grid
Code.

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SECTION 8
INFORMATION EXCHANGE CODE
8.1 Introduction
The I nf or mat ion Exchange Code def ines t he r ecipr ocal obligat ions of par t ies
wit h r egar d t o t he pr ovision of inf or mat ion f or t he implement at ion of t he Grid
Code.
The inf or mat ion r equir ement s are necessar y t o ensur e non-discriminatory
access t o t he Tr ansmission Syst em and t he saf e, r eliable pr ovision of
transmission services.
The inf or mat ion r equir ement s ar e divided int o planning inf or mat ion, oper at ional
information and post-dispatch information.
I nf or mat ion cr it er ia specif ied in t he I nf or mat ion Exchange Code ar e

supplementary to the other codes within the Grid Code.
8.2 Information exchange interface
The parties shall identify the following for each type of information exchange:
The name, designation and contact details of the person(s) designated

by the information owner to be responsible for provision of the
information
The names, contact details of, and the parties represented by
persons requesting the information
The purpose for which the information is required.
8.3 Confidentiality of information
8.3.1 Information exchanged between parties governed by this code shall

be confidential.
8.3.2 Confidential information shall not be transferred to a third party
without the written consent of the information owner. Parties shall
observe the proprietary rights of third parties for the purposes of
this code. Access to confidential information within the organisations
of parties shall be provided as reasonably required.
8.3.3 Parties receiving information shall use the information only for the
purpose for which it was supplied.

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8.3.4 The information owner may request the receiver of information to
enter into a confidentiality agreement before information,
established to be confidential, is provided. A pro forma agreement is
included in Appendix II.
8.3.5 The parties shall take all reasonable measures to control unauthorized
access to confidential information and to ensure secure information
exchange. Parties shall report any leak of information that is
governed by a confidentiality agreement as soon as practicable after
they become aware of the leak, and shall provide the information
owner with all reasonable assistance to ensure its recovery or
destruction (as deemed appropriate by the information owner).
8.4 Telephone/Fax
The Grid User and ZETCO shall be responsible for the provision and
maintenance of no less than one telephone and one fax unit that shall be
reserved for operational purposes only, and shall be continuously attended
to and answered without undue delay.
ZETCO shall use a voice recorder for historical recording of all operational
voice communication with Grid Users. These records shall be available for
at least one (1) year. ZETCO shall make the voice records of an identified
incident in dispute available within a reasonable time after such a request
from the Grid User and/or ZERC.
8.5 Electronic Mail
Electronic communication, wherever used shall always be supported by

signed hard copies. The data should be in the same format as specified
for hard copy transmission.
The exchange of archived data shall preferable be carried out on a

computer-to-computer basis communication link.
8.6 System planning information
8.6.1 Gr id User s shall pr ovide such inf or mat ion as and when r equest ed by
ZETCO f or t he pur poses of planning and developing t he Tr ansmission
Syst em. The par t ies shall submit t he inf or mat ion t o ZETCO without
undue delay. Such inf or mat ion may be r equir ed so t hat ZETCO can
plan and develop t he Tr ansmission Syst em, monit or cur r ent and

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f ut ur e power syst em adequacy and per f or mance, and f ulf ill it s
statutory or regulatory obligations.
8.6.2 Gr id User s shall submit t o ZETCO and t o all r elevant service
providers t he r elevant inf or mat ion list ed in Appendix I or as
specified by ZETCO from time to time.
8.6.3 ZETCO may request additional information as and when required.
8.6.4 ZETCO shall keep an updat ed t echnical dat abase of t he Syst em f or
pur poses of modelling and st udying t he behavior of t he Tr ansmission
and Sub-transmission Systems.
8.6.5 ZETCO shall pr ovide Gr id User s or pot ent ial Gr id User s , upon any
r easonable r equest , wit h any r elevant inf or mat ion t hat t hey r equir e
t o pr oper ly plan and design t heir own net wor ks/ inst allat ions or comply
with their other obligations in terms of the Grid Code
8.6.6 ZETCO shall make available all t he r elevant inf or mat ion r elat ed t o
net wor k planning as descr ibed in t he Gr id Connect ion Code, Sect ion 2
of this Grid Code.
8.6.7 Customers shall, upon r equest t o upgr ade an exist ing connect ion or
when applying f or a new connect ion pr ovide ZETCO wit h inf or mat ion
relating to the following:

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Table 8.6 System Planning Requirements for Customers
Commissioning Projected or target commissioning test date
Operating Target operational or on-line date

Reliability of connection Number of connecting circuits, e.g. one or two
requested feeders, or firm/non-firm supply required
Location map. Upgrades: name of existing point of supply to
be upgraded and supply voltage
New connections: provide a 1:50 000 or other
agreed scale location map, with the location
of the facility clearly marked. In addition, co-
ordinates of the point of connection to be
specified
Site plan Provide a plan of the site (1:200 or 1:500) of
the proposed facility, with the proposed point
of supply, and where applicable, the
transmission line route from the facility
boundary to the point of supply, clearly
marked
Provide an electrical single-line diagram of
Electrical single-line diagram t he Gr id User s intake substation and to
provide an accurate record of the layout of
circuits, numbering and nomenclature of
equipment and plant.
8.6.8 ZETCO may estimate any System planning information not provided by
the Grid user. ZETCO shall take all reasonable steps to reach
agreement with the Grid User on estimated data items. ZETCO shall
indicate to the Grid User any data items that have been estimated.
The obligation to ensure the correctness of data remains with the
Grid User.
8.6.9 Generators shall submit to ZETCO all the maintenance planning
information detailed in Section 5 of this Grid Code with regard to
each unit at each power station.
8.7 Operational information
8.7.1 Pre- commissioning studies
8.7.1.1 Customers shall meet all system planning information requirements

before the commissioning test date. (This will include confirming any
estimated values assumed for planning purposes or, where practical,

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replacing them with validated actual values and with updated
estimates for the future.)
8.7.2 Commissioning and notification
(a) Records of commissioning shall be maintained for reference by the

asset owner for the operational life of the plant and shall be made
available, within a reasonable time, to ZETCO upon notification of
such request.
(b) The asset owner shall communicate changes made during an outage
to commissioned equipment, to ZETCO before the equipment is
returned to service. ZETCO shall keep commissioning records of
operational data for the operational life of the plant connected to
the Transmission System.
(c) Participants shall give ZETCO notice, as defined in the Operations

Code, of the time at which the commissioning tests will be carried
out.
8.7.3 General information acquisition requirements

8.7.3.1 Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA)
The information exchange shall support data from the SCADA

system. The System Operator shall be able to monitor the state of
t he power system using the data from the remote terminal units
(RTU).
The SCADA system shall be used for storage, display and processing
of operational real time data. All Grid Users and Generating Units
shall make available outputs of their respective operational equipment
to the data acquisition system or as specified in the connection
agreement.
The data collection, storage, monitoring and display center for

ZETCO SCADA data shall be The National Control Center.

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8.7.3.2 Generation Operational SCADA data
The Generator Unit shall provide operational information for both

real time and recording purposes in relation to each Generating Unit
at each Power Station in respect of indications and measurands as
follows:
i. Mwhr
ii. Voltage
iii. Frequency
iv. MW
v. MVAr
and any other additional data as specified in the connection
agreement.
8.7.3.3 Transmission System Operational SCADA data
ZETCO and the grid user shall specify the data characteristics for
monitoring electrical supply and load characteristic at each sub-
station and connection point. The data shall be used for both real
time and recording purposes in relation to each feeder, transformer
and compensation device in respect of indications and measurands as
follows:
i. Voltage
ii. Frequency
iii. MW
iv. MVAr
v. Current
and any other additional data as specified in the connection
agreement.
8.7.3.4 Process signals interface to RTU
The interface of the process signals to RTU shall be as specified by

ZETCO. The Interface cabinets shall be installed in the Grid users
plant and equipment room if required. The provision and maintenance
of the wiring and signalling from the Grid Users plant and equipment
to the interface cable to MDF shall be the responsibility of the Grid
User.
8.7.4 Measurements and indications to be supplied by Grid Users to ZETCO

shall include the formats as specified by ZETCO. Where required
signals become unavailable or do not comply with applicable standards

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for reasons within the control of the provider of the information,
such participant shall report and restore or correct the signals
and/or indications as soon as reasonable.
8.7.5 ZETCO shall notify the Grid User, where ZETCO, acting reasonably
and in consultation with the Grid User , determines that additional
measurements and/or indications in relation to a Grid User plant and
equipment are needed to meet a Transmission System requirement.
The cost s r elat ed t o t he par t icipant s modif icat ions f or t he addit ional
measurements and/or indications shall be for the account of the
providing Grid User
8.7.6 On receipt of such notification from ZETCO the Grid User shall
promptly ensure that such measurements and/or indications are made
available at the RTU.
8.7.7 ZETCO and the Grid User shall agree on the timeous provision of
operational data items as per the relevant Power Purchase Agreement
and/or Power Supply Agreement.
8.7.8 Grid Users shall jointly verify all measurements and/or indications for
functionality and accuracy once every three (3) years, so as to
achieve overall accuracy of operational measurements within the
limits agreed.
8.7.9 The data formats to be used and the fields of information to be
supplied to ZETCO by the Grid Users shall be as per the Power
Purchase Agreements.
8.7.10 ZEDC shall provide periodic feedback to Grid Users regarding the
status of equipment and systems installed in the substations where
they are connected to the Transmission System. The feedback shall
include results from tests, condition monitoring, inspections, audits,
failure trends and calibration. The frequency of the feedback shall be
determined in the operating agreement, but will not exceed one year.
8.7.11 Plant status reports provided by Grid Users will also include
contingency plans where applicable.
8.8 Unit Scheduling
8.8.1 Declared Available Capacity
Generators shall complet e and submit t o ZETCO t he Declared

Available Capacit y f or each gener at ing unit at a per iod specif ied by
ZETCO under the Power Purchase Agreement. All scheduled and other
out ages and der at ings which pr event some or all of t he Dependable
Capacit y of each unit f r om being available f or dispat ch shall be
specif ied. Should t he Declar ed Available Capacit y be less t han t he
Dependable Capacit y f or any gener at ing unit due t o a r eason ot her
t han Scheduled Out age, ZPC or any ot her gener at or shall explain t he
r eason f or t he r educt ion, t he act ion planned t o r est or e t he unit t o

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t he Dependable Capacit y level, and t he est imat ed t ime r equir ed f or
such restoration.
8.8.2 Statement of Reduction and Re- establishment in Declared

Available Capacity
8.8.2.1 Should t he ZPC or any gener at or become awar e of a change in st at us

of any gener at ing unit s f ollowing t he submission of t he Declar ed
Available Capacit y it shall make t his st at us change known immediat ely
t o ZETCO by t elephone, f ollowed by wr it t en conf ir mat ion t o be
r eceived by ZETCO wit hin one hour . ZPC or any ot her gener at or shall
conf ir m t he r educt ion in Declar ed Available Capacit y, t he r eason f or
t he r educt ion, t he act ion planned t o r est or e t he Declar ed Available
Capacit y t o t he Dependable Capacit y level, and t he est imat ed t ime
required for such restoration.
8.8.2.2 Once the Declared Available Capacity can be increased over the levels
st at ed under 8.5.1 t his change in st at us shall immediat ely be r elayed
t o ZETCO by t elephone communicat ion, f ollowed by wr it t en
conf ir mat ion t o be r eceived by ZETCO wit hin one hour . ZETCO may
then dispat ch t he af f ect ed gener at ing unit at t he Declar ed Available
Capacity level.
8.8.3 Scheduled Capacity Requirement
8.8.3.1 ZETCO will not if y ZPC or any ot her gener at or of it s Scheduled

Capacit y r equir ement s f or t he plant f or each hour of t he day as per
Power Pur chase Agr eement ZPC or any ot her gener at or will conf ir m
accept ance and dispat ch t he plant t o t he Capacit y Schedule specif ied
in the Power Purchase Agreement.
8.8.3.2 Should ZETCO r equir e changing t he Scheduled Capacit y level of t he
plant at any t ime, it shall not if y ZPC or any ot her gener at or of all
changes t hr ough t elephone communicat ion, f ollowed by sending a
r evised schedule t o be r eceived by ZPC or any ot her gener at or wit hin
one hour . ZPC will dispat ch t he plant t o t he r evised Scheduled
Capacit y r equir ement s as not if ied by t he init ial t elephone
communication.
8.9 Demand Scheduling
ZETCO r eser ves t he r ight t o load shed should cir cumst ances beyond it s
cont r ol ar ise. This will be done t o ensur e syst em int egr it y. ZETCO shall as
soon as possible give not ice of any imminent load shedding t hat might ar ise
due t o plant out ages due t o maint enance. However f or f or ced out ages such
notices might not be possible

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8.10 Data storage and archiving
The obligation for data storage and archiving shall lie with the
information owner.
8.10.1 The systems that store the data and/or information to be used by
the parties shall be of their own choice and for their own cost.
8.10.2 All the systems must be able to be audited by the ZERC.
8.10.3 The systems must provide for clear and accessible audit trails on all
relevant operational transactions. All requests that require an audit
on a system shall be undertaken with reasonable notice to the parties.
8.10.4 The information owner shall keep all hard copy and/or paper-based
information for a period of at least five (5) years (unless otherwise
specified in the Grid Code) commencing from the date the information
was created.
8.10.5 Parties shall ensure reasonable security against unauthorised access,
use and loss of information (i.e. have a backup strategy) for the
systems that contain the information.
8.10.6 Parties shall store planning information that is kept electronically for
at least five (5) years or for the life of the plant or equipment
concerned, whichever is the longer.
8.10.7 ZETCO shall archive operational information, in a historical repository
sized f or t hr ee (3) year s dat a. This dat a includes t r ansmission time-
tagged status information, change of state alarms, and event
messages, hourly scheduling and energy accounting information and
operator entered data and actions.
8.10.8 An audit trail of all changes made to archived data should be
maintained. This audit trail shall identify every change made, and the
time and date of the change. The audit trail shall include both before
and after values of all content and structure changes.
8.11 File Transfers
The f or mat of t he f iles used f or dat a t r ansf er shall be negot iat ed and def ined
by t he supplier and r eceiver of t he inf or mat ion. The f ile t r ansf er media shall be
negot iat ed and def ined by bot h parties involved. The parties shall keep t he
agr eed number of f iles f or backup pur poses so as t o enable t he r ecover y of
information in the case of communication failures.

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8.12 Performance data
8.12.1 Generator performance data
8.12.1.1 Generators shall provide ZETCO monthly with performance indicators

in relation to each unit at each power station in respect of availability
and reliability as determined from time to time by ZETCO.
8.12.1.2 Generators shall report significant events, such as catastrophic
failures, to the ZERC within one (1) week of occurrence of such event.
8.12.2 ZEDC and End- Use Customer Performance
8.12.2.1 The performance measurement of all distributors and end-use

customers shall be supplied to the ZETCO in accordance with the
operating agreement requirements.
8.12.2.2 Distributors shall submit on annual basis the maximum demand of
each distributions substation to facilitate long term network
development by ZETCO
8.12.2.3 Distributors shall submit on annual basis any known load exceeding
3MVA to be connected to the distribution system and the substation
where such loads are likely to be connected
8.12.2.4 Distributors shall report periodic testing of under-frequency load
shedding relays in the following format:
TABLE 8.7.2: Testing of Under- Frequency Load Shedding Relays
Date:
Substation:
Fed from transmission substation (directly or indirectly):
Activating frequency Timer setting
Required As tested Required As tested
Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3
Stage 4
Feeders selected (required) Feeders selected (as tested)
Stage 1
Stage 2
Stage 3
Stage 4

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8.12.3 Performance
ZETCO shall make the following Transmission System performance indicators

available monthly to the ZERC:
Table 8.12.3 ZETCO Performance Indicators to be submitted to ZERC
Indicator Performance this month Performance year to date Current

international
performance
where
applicable
Actual Targeted Actual Targeted
Local generation by plant

Imports by source
Energy purchased from IPPs
and embedded generators
by source
Inadvertent energy
Exports
Capacity arising from
demand side management
Power wheeled
Energy at Bulk Supply Point
Energy Sold to ZEDC
System maximum demand
System load failure %
Transmission and sub-

transmission losses
(separate)
System minutes
Transmission system
minutes
Number of supply
interruptions
Average duration of
interruptions (minutes)
Number of frequency
excursions outside
statutory limits
Number of voltage
excursions outside
statutory limits

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% of transmission line faults
resulting in supply
interruptions
% of sub-transmission faults
resulting in supply
interruptions
% of transmission/sub-
transmission transformer
resulting in supply
interruption
Number of supply
interruption by cause
(human error, lightening,
bush fires, other)
% of transmission/sub-
transmission substation
operated at full capacity
% of lines operated at
thermal rating
Unsaved energy attributed
ZETCO
Average defects duration
Planned maintenance done
(%)
Number of supply
interruption due to
protection malfunction
Availability of protection
system (%)
Number of power control

system failures
Power system communication
availability (%)
Sales Revenue/Employee
Gwh/employee
Number of employees per
category (managerial,
technical etc)
Number of non-fatal
accidents
Number of fatal accidents
Number of environmental

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complaints
Number of customer
complaints
Itemized Revenue and
Expenditure as per format
provided by ZERC
Average processing time
for application
Average time for system
studies
Average Connection time
after system studies and
payment of Connection Fees
Number of customers
awaiting connection due to
transmission and sub
transmission constraints
Average waiting time by
customers awaiting
connection due to ZETCo
constraints
Average time for responding
to written correspondence
by customers
Network length by voltage
level
Number of transformers by
voltage level and capacity
Average transformer life
Average line life
Annual system chronological
data
Any other statistics or
indicators that would be
specified by ZERC from
time to time

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SECTION 9
PROJECT APRAISAL FRAMEWORK CODE
9.1 Introduction
The pur pose of t his code is t o pr ovide guidance on how t o appr aise pr oj ect s in
ZETCO t o ensur e t hat only pr oj ect s t hat sat isf y ZETCO ' s viabilit y cr it er ia ar e
implemented.
This edition of the appraisal framework unlike the previous edition includes
project documentation guidelines and guidelines on the economic and financial
analysis of projects to determine whether projects will increase shareholder
value/wealth or not. The underlying principles are that:
i) Money r eceived t oday can be invest ed t o ear n mor e money at a r eal

rate of interest.
ii) Inflation erodes purchasing power of money such that money received
in the future does not buy the same quantity of goods as money today.
iii) Ther e is r isk t hat money expect ed in t he f ut ur e might not be
received. This is called default risk.
iv) Ther e is t he r isk t hat t he invest or s might not be able t o liquidat e t he
invest ment int o cash at a f air mar ket pr ice. This is called liquidit y
risk
The pr oper car r ying out of a pr oj ect appr aisal will ensur e t hat t he pr oper
oppor t unit y cost of public money will be under t aken in an envir onment wher e
projects are competing for scarce public funds.
9.2 Project Documentation Guidelines
These guidelines ar e meant t o pr ovide guidance on ar eas t o include when wr it ing

up pr oj ect pr oposals t o ensur e t hat t her e is clar it y and unif or mit y in
pr esent at ions. The guidelines pr eset ed her e ar e t he minimum r equir ement s and
ar e not exhaust ive as pr oj ect s always var y accor ding t o what t hey ar e meant t o
addr ess. I t is however f elt t hat some of t he maj or t opics f or any pr oj ect ar e
cover ed. Any r elevant addit ional inf or mat ion t hat helps bet t er t he pr oposal can
still be included.

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9.2.1 Project Justification
The project justification should include:
Purpose of the project

Nat ur e of t he pr oj ect : Eit her new wor ks, r einf or cement / r ehabilit at ion,
replacement or expansion
How t he pr oj ect is going t o f it int o t he inf r ast r uct ur e alr eady in place and
future plans
Corporate strategic issues the project meant to address
Identification of t he needed ser vice or measur es t o solve t he pr oblems
being presently encountered
I dent if icat ion of opt ions t o pr ovide t he needed ser vice. Her e t he planner
must provide the full portfolio of available options
Evaluat ion of cr it er ia f or evaluat ing opt ions (e.g. r eser ve mar gin, volt age
limits)
Analysis of opt ions consider ing t echnical, economic, f inancial and
environmental impacts
Analyzing availabilit y of r esour ces in ZETCO - labour (local skills, expat r iat e
skills), t r aining; f inancial r esour ces (local and f or eign), physical (land,
buildings). Any other possible constraints to be addressed here.
A r ecommendat ion t o commit r esour ces t o t he plan, which pr ovides t he
needed ser vice in t he most cost -ef f icient manner possible, and which
balances the interests of customers and ZETCO.
For t he chosen alt er nat ive it is necessar y t o ensur e t hat t he cost s ar e
cur r ent . I f any pr ice changes ar e f or eseen (bef or e appr oval of pr oj ect ) it
may be necessary to include a conservative (+-10%) price change contingency.
Cost Benef it analysis (I dent if icat ion of benef it s f lowing out of t he
inception of such projects
A simple procedure to identify benefits of projects should involve answering the

following questions:
What is the problem to be addressed?

How is the problem being addressed now? - status quo
What cost s ar e associat ed wit h t he st at us quo, which would not be
incur r ed wit h t he incept ion of t he pr oj ect ? - These become t he
benefits or costs saved.

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9.2.2 Results of cost/benefit analysis
9.2.2.1 A br ief out line of t he r esult s of t he f inancial and economic analysis of

t he r ecommended least cost opt ion (as car r ied out in compliance t o t he
pr ocedur es set in Sect ion 3.3 of t his Gr id Code) shall be cont ained in t he
project documentation.
9.2.2.2 The pr oj ect document at ion shall cont ain a comment on whet her t he
project passes the set approved viability criteria.
9.2.2.3 Pr oj ect s shall be subj ect ed t o sensit ivit y analysis and t he r esult s of such
a sensitivity analysis shall constitute project documentation
9.2.3 Conclusions and recommendations
The project documentation shall provide specific recommendation made

by the initiator of the proposal, on how the project shall be implemented.
Such a recommendation shall have an alternative fall back plan.
9.3 APPRAISAL GUIDELINES
9.3.1 Economic Analysis
9.3.1.1 Purpose
Main purpose of carrying out economic project appraisals to ensure that

scarce resources are used to the best advantage of ZETCO and the
country in terms of meeting adequate, safe, reliable, environmentally
friendly and least cost energy supplies.
9.3.1.2 Underlying Principles
Economic analysis shall be based on real prices with a view to secure

maximum benefit to the society as a whole rather than the utility. In
general, all domestic transfers like indirect taxes, duties, and interest on
loans, loan repayment, depreciation and subsidies shall be excluded in prices
used in economic analysis. Apart from the exclusion of transfers, the
economic analysis shall make use of shadow pricing, which corrects for the
distortions existing in the market. Such shadow prices shall be for foreign
exchange, labour and the discount rate.

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9.3.1.3 Cost Parameters
9.3.1.4 The cost shall be calculated on an incremental basis, which means that sunk
costs should be excluded. Sunk costs are costs already incurred before
the analysis of the project.
9.3.1.5 The costs should be based on standard prices. The prices shall be availed to
any user or ZERC
9.3.1.6 Investment or Capital Costs
For projects the capital costs shall be split into two categories, namely
foreign and local costs.
9.3.1.7 Foreign costs require use of foreign currency to acquire the project inputs
(materials, labour & transport), and local costs (also materials, labour &
transport) require the use of local currency.
9.3.1.8 Foreign costs shall be shadow priced by the shadow price of foreign
currency, whilst the labour component shall be further shadow priced by
the labour adjustment factor.
9.3.1.9 Costs quoted in foreign currencies shall be converted to local currency

using the ruling exchange rate at the time of analysis and the assumptions
used shall be made available to ZERC and any other User.
9.3.1.9.1 Unless pr ices ar e expect ed t o incr ease bef or e act ual implement at ion
(in which case a pr ice cont ingency would have t o be included), no
conversion or adjustments are required for these costs.
9.3.1.10 Total capital or investment costs shall be obtained by adding the foreign
and local portions of costs.
9.3.2 Operation and Maintenance Costs
Annual O & M cost s shall be assumed t o be 1.5% of capit al cost s.

They shall be obt ained by mult iplying t he t ot al capit al invest ment
cost s by 1.5% f or t he lif et ime or per iod of analysis of t he pr oj ect .
However wher e act ual f igur es can be obt ained use should be made of
them in place of this assumption.

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9.3.3 Electricity Production Cost
The elect r icit y pr oduct ion cost includes cost of gener at ion, and
r elevant cost on t he t r ansmission, sub-t r ansmission and dist r ibut ion
net wor k. These shall be obt ained by mult iplying t he unit s or kWh
gener at ed by t he aver age elect r icit y pr oduct ion cost s applicable t o
the voltage level.
Discount Rates
These shall as stipulated by Government from time to time
9.3.4 Opportunity Costs
Any opportunity costs or loss of revenue due to the implementation of a

project must be taken into account during economic analysis. The loss in
revenue must be included in the analysis for the project life.
9.3.5 Transfer Payments
Sales tax, custom duties, income tax, subsidies and interest on borrowed
funds are all regarded as transfer payments in economic analysis and should
therefore be ignored as they do not represent direct claims on the
count r y s r esources, but merely reflect a transfer of the control over
resources within the country.
9.3.6 Shadow Pricing
Shadow prices are economic accounting prices specifically estimated to be

used in project appraisal to correct for market distortions. Shadow price
corrections are most frequently applied on the following type of cost.
9.3.7 Foreign exchange (Shadow Exchange Rate)
Because economic analysis is concerned with the real cost of resources, an

exchange rate higher than the official rate, i.e. the shadow rate should be
used in estimating the foreign exchange value.
9.3.8 Economic Life
Depending on the nature of the project, the following economic life

should be assumed:

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Table 9.3.8: Economic Life of Projects
9.3.8.1 Civil Work and Buildings 20 50 years

9.3.8.2 General equipment 25 years
9.3.8.3 Transmission Equipment
Lines 25 45 years
Cables 35 years
Electro-technical 25 years
9.3.8.4 Distribution
Lines 25 45 years
Cables 35 years
Electro-technical 25 years
Plant and machinery 25 years
9.3.8.5 Tools 10 years
9.3.8.6 Light Vehicles 5 years
9.3.8.7 Heavy Vehicles 5 years
9.3.8.8 Office Furniture 5 years
9.3.8.9 Office machine including typewriters 5 years
9.3.8.10 Office equipment including computers 3 years
9.3.9 Benefits
Each benef it ar ising f or m t he implement at ion of t he pr oj ect should

be capt ur ed and put in a dif f er ent column, e.g. Sales Revenue t hat is
obt ained by mult iplying t he number of unit s or kWh t o be sold by t he
aver age t ar if f applicable f or t he f inancial year . I n cases wher e t her e
is mor e t han one st r eam of benef it s t hese need t o be summed up in a
separate column for total benefits.
9.4 Cost- Benefit Analysis
9.4.1 Objective
The objective of cost-benefit analysis is to test the economic viability of

the least-cost option that will have been selected. In other words cost-
benefit analysis assesses the benefits accruing to the economy as a result
of implementing a project.
9.4.2 Methodology
Cost-benefit analysis shall be based on a projection of economic costs and

benefits over the lifetime of the project.

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Once the costs and benefits have been established, a cash flow statement
shall be set up for each year in the period of the analysis. The streams of
benefit and cost should be discounted using the discount rate that is
market based.
9.4.3 Discount Factors
These shall be calculated using the formula given below:
1/(1+r)n
Wher e r is t he discount r at e as advised f r om t ime t o t ime by ZETCO

and n is a time variable.
For t he base year n = 0 and f or t he f ollowing year it will be 1 (one) unt il

the last year of the project's life.
9.4.4 Discount Rate
The discount rate or cost of capital is the rate of interest reflecting the
value of money that is used to convert costs and benefit accruing at
different times to equivalent values at a common time.
Using the Net Present Value (NPV), Internal Rate of Return (IRR), the
Benefit to Cost ratio and the Least Cost Approach the viability of a project
should be determined.
9.4.4.1 The Net Present Value (NPV)
The idea behind t he NPV t echnique is t hat it discounts t he cash f lows

gener at ed by an asset back t o t he pr esent day. Thus t he NPV t echnique
is concer ned wit h t he t ime value of money. The key consider at ion is on
the net present value, which is t he net of t he init ial (or iginal) cost and
t he pr esent value of all ot her cash f lows. This is as opposed t o t he
pr esent value of t he cash f lows, which would simply be t he sum of t he
original cash flows in each year.
The NPV shall be calculated as follows:
NPV= NCFt - I 0
t
(1 + r)

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Discounted cash flows are summed over life of project (N).
NPV = CFI x PVIF (K%, 1year)+ CF2 x PVI F (K%, 2 yr s) + CFn x PVIF (K%,
n yrs) -I 0
Where CFt = cash flow in year t

K = cost of capital or discount rate
n= period of investment
I0 = Initial investment
Where future cash flows are an annuity (an equal amount),
NPV = CI F x PVIF A (k%, n yrs) - I0
Where CF = annual Cash Flow
PVIFA = present value interest factor of an annuity
The net present value decision criteria are the acceptance of a project with an
NPV equal to or greater than zero and the rejection of a project with an NPV
less than zero. When comparing mutually exclusive projects, the decision
criterion is to accept the project with the highest NPV.
9.4.4.2 The Internal Rate of Return (IRR)
Whilst the net present value method provides useful information on project
acceptance, the results from different projects need to be compared in
conjunction with the internal rate of return (IRR) method.
The IRR is defined as the discount rate, which will result in an NPV of zero.
0 = CFI x PVIF (IRR%, 1yr)+CF2 x PVI F (I RR%, 2 yr s)+ CFn x PVIF (IRR%,
n yrs) -I 0
To f ind t he I RR one has t o solve f or t he discount r at e t hat gives an NPV

that is equal to zero.
The IRR decision criteria shall be acceptance of a project with IRR equal or
greater than the discount rate used in the analysis and rejection of a
project with an IRR less than the cut off discount rate. In the case of
comparing projects, the project with the highest IRR should be given top
priority if the projects under consideration are otherwise comparable.

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9.4.4.3 The Payback Period
The payback per iod measur es t he lengt h of t ime it t akes a pr oj ect t o

repay its initial capital cost.
The payback period calculation is:
The cash flow received

Number of years immediately during the year to take
prior to the year in which the cumulative cash flow to zero
PLUS
payback The total cash flow during the
period occurs year during which the payback
period occurs
Payback Period = Initial Investment/Annual Cash flow (If the project

Cash flows are an annuity)
Or
Payback Period = t I o - Ct
CFt + 1 For unequal cashflows
Where
t = is t he last f ull year in which t he cumulat ive cashf low ar e less
than the initial investment
Io = the initial investment
CFt + 1 = the cashflow in year t +1
Ct = Cumulative cashflow
The met hod can be used wher e on, viable mut ually exclusive pr oj ect s t he
per iod of r ecover y of t he init ial invest ment a maj or consider at ion. The
accept able payback per iod can be decided by t he company and may depend
on the nature of the project and costs involved.
9.4.4.4 Benefit- Cost Ratio
Pr oj ect s shall be analysed f or benef it cost r at io. This shall be

calculat ed by dividing t he t ot al discount ed benef it s by t he t ot al
discounted costs.

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9.4.5 Financial Analysis
All pr oj ect s shall be f inancially appr aised. The f inancial analysis of a

pr oj ect est imat es t he pr of it accr uing t o t he pr oj ect -oper at ing ent it y or
t o t he pr oj ect par t icipant s, wher eas economic analysis measur es t he
ef f ect of t he pr oj ect on t he nat ional economy. For a pr oj ect t o be
economically viable, it must be f inancially sust ainable, as well as
economically ef f icient . I f a pr oj ect is not f inancially sust ainable,
economic benef it s will not be r ealized. Financial analysis and economic
analysis are therefore two sides of the same coin and complementary.
I n f inancial analysis all expendit ur es incur r ed under t he pr oj ect and

r evenues r esult ing f r om it should be t aken int o account . This f or m of
analysis is necessary to:
Assess t he degr ee t o which a pr oj ect will gener at e r evenues

sufficient to meet financial obligations,
Assess the incentives for producers, and
Ensur e demand or out put f or ecast s on which t he economic analysis
is based ar e consist ent wit h f inancial char ges or available budget
resources.
The st eps pr esent ed below should be f ollowed in under t aking f inancial

analysis of projects.
9.4.5.1 Capital Costs
Cost s quot ed in f or eign cur r ency should be conver t ed t o local

currency using the exchange rate ruling at the time of the analysis.
When cost s ar e being incur r ed over a number of year s t hey must be

escalat ed by t he r elevant inf lat ion index over t he per iod t hey ar e
being incurred.
Inflation index for base year is equal to 1 (one)

Inflation index for subsequent years = Ifi * (1+R)
Where:
Ifi is inflation index for previous year

R is inf lat ion r at e f or t he year under consider at ion wr it t en in
decimal f or m. Appendix 1 shows t he f or ecast exchange r at es and
inflation rates.

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9.4.5.2 Total Capital/Investment Costs
Tot al capit al or invest ment cost s shall be obt ained by adding t he

foreign and local costs.
9.4.5.3 Operating & Maintenance (O & M) Costs
O & M cost s shall be obt ained by mult iplying t he t ot al

capit al/ invest ment cost s by 1.5% and t hen escalat ing t he r esult s by
t he inflation index for that year e.g. (D1 Dn) * 0.015Ifi.
Where D1..Dn are the capital costs
Ifi is the inflation index for the year under consideration
9.4.5.4 Electricity Production Costs
These shall be obt ained by mult iplying t he unit s or kWh gener at ed by

t he aver age elect r icit y pr oduct ion cost applicable t o t he volt age level
and then escalating using the inflation index for each year.
9.4.5.5 Total Costs
These shall be obt ained by t he summat ion of t ot al capit al cost s,

operating and maintenance costs and electricity production costs.
9.4.5.6 Benefits
These vary depending on the nature of project being considered. Each

benef it st r eam should be put in a dif f er ent column, e.g. sales r evenue
is obt ained by mult iplying t he number of unit s or kWh t o be sold in a
par t icular year by t he aver age t ar if f and t hen escalat ed by t he
inf lat ion index f or t hat year . I n cases wher e t her e is mor e t han one
st r eam of benef it s t hese need t o be summat ed in t he t ot al benef it s
column.
9.4.5.7 Net Benefits or Net Cash Flows
This is obtained by subtracting the total costs from total benefits.
9.4.5.8 Discount Factors
These are calculated using the formula given below:

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1/(1+r)n
where r is the discount rate as advised from time to time.

n is t he number of year s of t he pr oj ect s usef ul lif e.
9.4.5.9 Net Present Values
These ar e obt ained by mult iplying t he r espect ive net benef it s or net
cash f lows by t he discount f act or f or each year of t he pr oj ect s
lif et ime or per iod of analysis. The t ot al of t his column gives us t he
NPV.
9.4.5.10 Cumulative Net Present Values
For t he f ir st or base year t his is obt ained by adding t he net pr esent

value t hat has been calculat ed in t he pr evious st ep (t her ef or e
cumulat ive NPV f or f ir st year equals NPV f or f ir st year ). For
subsequent year s it is obt ained by adding t he cumulat ive net pr esent
value of the preceding year and the net present value of that year.
9.4.5.11 Discounted Benefits And Costs
Discounted benefits are obtained by multiplying the total benefits by

t he r espect ive discount f act or s while t he discount ed cost s ar e
obt ained by mult iplying t he t ot al cost s by t he r espect ive discount
factors. Each column of the resultant figures needs to be summed.
9.4.5.12 Internal Rate Of Return (IRR)
This is obtained by using the formula below:

@ IRR (I , L5 L24)
Where:
@ is a lotus function,
IRR is the Internal Rate of Return,
I is an imaginar y discount r at e wr it t en in decimal f or m and usually
r anges f r om 0.1 t o 0.9 wher e 0.1 r epr esent 10% and 0.9
represents 90% but can exceed unity.
(L5 L24) r epr esent s t he net cash f lows or net benef it s f r om t he
first year to the last year of the period of analysis.

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9.4.5.13 Benefit- Cost Ratio
This is obt ained by dividing t he t ot al discount ed benef it s by t he

total discounted costs.
9.4.5.14 Assumptions
The following assumptions need to be stated where applicable.
i. Discount Rate
ii. O & M cost as a percentage of total investment costs
iii. Aver age Elect r icit y Pr oduct ion Cost s f or per iod under
consideration
iv. Average Tariffs for period under consideration
v. Load Growth Rate per Annum
vi. Load Factor or Power Factor
vii. Exchange rate
viii. Derivation of benefits for support projects
9.4.5.15 Expected Results
A viable project has to meet the criteria below :
I) At least 18 % internal rate of return (IRR)

II) A benefit-cost ratio of at least 1
III) A positive net present value (NPV)
9.5 Environmental Impact Assessment
All t r ansmission and subt r ansmission pr oj ect s shall be subj ect ed t o

Envir onment al I mpact Assessment (EI A). The Envir onment al I mpact
assessment shall be as per t he Envir onment al Code developed and amended
by ZERC from time to time, but should include the following issues.
9.5.1 Major Environmental Issues
The maj or envir onment al issues shall be assessed and incor por at ed in t he
planning stage as underscored in the following section.
9.5.1.1 Physical/Biological
All transmission and subtransmission projects shall be assessed on their

physical and biological effects as follows:

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Pollution (water, soil, air, noise)

Wast e handling, st or age and t r eat ment (solid, wat er bor ne,
gaseous)
Ef f ect on downst r eam sur f ace wat er bodies (wat er qualit y,
siltation, and change in regime).
Effect on soil (erosion, compaction, quality)
Loss or change of local and sur r ounding ecosyst ems e.g. cut t ing
trees
Effect on threatened/protected species
Effect on protected areas or habitats
I nt er f er ence in animal populat ions (migr at ion, f r ee movement ,
behaviour, breeding)
Any ot her physical and/ or biological ef f ect s t hat could be of
major concern to ZETCO or any segment of society
9.5.1.2 Social
All t r ansmission and subt r ansmission pr oj ect s shall be assessed on

their social effects as follows:
Effect on local community's way of life e.g. displacement

Consultation, participation and support from local community
Possible resistance to development
Rest r ict ion of t r adit ional access (pat hways, r eligious sit es,
etc.)
Threat to traditional cultural sites and artifacts
Loss of access t o t r adit ional nat ur al r esour ces (gr azing,
firewood, medicines)
I ncr eased r isks t o public healt h (accident s, diseases,
deteriorated water supply)
Any ot her social ef f ect s t hat could be of maj or concer n t o
ZETCO or any segment of the public
9.5.1.3 Economic
All transmission and subtransmission projects shall be assessed on their

economic effects as follows
Land tenure issues

Effect on property values
Permanent loss of land (opportunity cost)
Effect on household incomes

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Effect of secondary and downstream economic activity
Sustainability of chosen technology
Compliance with international conventions/protocols
Compliance with national policy, law and standards
Compliance with voluntary standards (SAZ, ISO 9 000, 14 000)
Any ot her economic ef f ect s t hat could be of maj or concer n t o
ZETCO or any segment of society
9.5.2 Typical Impacts
Dur ing const r uct ion and oper at ion of t r ansmission and
subt r ansmission pr oj ect s and/ or inf r ast r uct ur e special car e and
mit igat ion measur es should be maint ained t o r educe or eliminat e
possible physical, social and economic environmental impacts.
9.5.2.1 Physical Impacts
Physical impact s t hat could ar ise due t o t he const r uct ion and
operation of transmission and subtransmission infrastructure are:
Damage to cultural resources and sites

Visual intrusion from equipment and infrastructure
Soil erosion from disturbed areas
Degr adat ion of sur f ace wat er bodies by incr ease in suspended
particulates
Noise
Contamination of ground water or surface water
Soil contamination
Any ot her physical impact s t hat could be of maj or concer n t o
ZETCO or any segment of society
ZETCO shall put in place management st eps t o mit igat e against

negat ive possible physical impact s ar ising f r om t he const r uct ion and
oper at ions of t he t r ansmission inf r ast r uct ur e. Such management
steps shall include but not necessary limited:
Ensuring appropriate siting

Minimising clearing and blending vegetation
Ensuring that safety procedures are followed
Pr ovision of sur f ace dr ainage t o meet qualit y st andar ds bef or e
discharge of damaging effluent
Cleaning up of spills (chemicals, diesel, oil, etc)
Avoiding/minimising penetration of aquifers

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Controlling surface run off
Selecting appropriate site(s) for solid waste disposal
Availabilit y of monit or ing inst r ument s t o be placed at sensit ive
areas
Car r ying out appr opr iat e sur veys pr ior t o dist ur bance t o
determine vulnerability of soil erosion
Utilising technologies that minimise waste creation
Minimise pollution at source
Routine monitoring air quality
Rout ine monit or ing of wat er qualit y in r iver s upst r eam and
downstream of discharge point
Routine monitoring of ground water through boreholes
Minimising dust and particulate emissions
I nst allat ion of appr opr iat e pollut ion abat ement devices on
diesel equipment to ensure minimal emissions
9.5.2.2 Social Impacts
Social impacts that could arise due to the construction and operation of
transmission and subtransmission infrastructure are:
Dist ur bance of bot h humans and wildlif e by noise f r om

activities
Injury/loss of life from accidents
Competition with local cultures, traditions and life styles
I ncr eased demands on ser vices and f acilit ies in local
communities
Social and cultural conflicts affect community stability
Secondary population growth
Displacement of local communities
Healt h pr oblems associat ed wit h dust , smoke, STD, HI V,
cholera, malaria, dysentery etc
+Development of schools, hospitals and recreational facilities

negat ive possible social impact s ar ising f r om t he const r uct ion and
steps shall include but not necessary limited to:
Minimising conflict by employing locals where feasible

Maintaining open dialogue with communities

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Ensur ing t hat af f ect ed people ar e inf or med in advance and
t heir r ight s communicat ed t o t hem. I n t he event of pr oblems,
ensuring that problems are promptly addressed.
Taking st ock of populat ion t o be displaced, making an invent or y
of property loss and giving adequate compensation.
Liaising wit h local communit y t o assess t heir needs and
ensuring minimal conflict between employees and the locals.
Encour age pr oj ect wor ker s t o par t icipat e in communit y af f air s
and open periodic dialogue with community leaders.
Ensuring that safety equipment is available at all times.
Ensuring that sites of cultural significance are demarcated and
fenced or catalogued moved and re-sited.
Ensur ing t hat hist or ical r esour ces ar e ar chived or demar cat ed
from the operating site
Ut ilising appr opr iat e dust cont r ol measur es wast e spr aying,
wind breaks.
9.5.2.3 Economic Impacts
Economic impact s t hat could ar ise due t o t he const r uct ion and
operation of transmission and subtransmission infrastructure are:
Land use conflicts

Induced development of other economic sectors
Availability of a ready market for products
Employment opportunities for local population

negat ive possible economic impact s ar ising f r om t he const r uct ion and
steps shall include but not necessary limited to:
Consult ing wit h local land user s in sit t ing access r oads and
other utilities
Allowing other land uses on site if they are compatible with the
operations.
Employing as many locals as skills requirements permit
Encour aging gr owt h of secondar y act ivit ies like shops, gr een
markets, etc.

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APPENDICES
APPENDIX I
PLANNING DATA REQUIREMENTS
General
i. Synchronous machine data
ii. Exciter data and models
iii. Governor data and models
iv. Power System stabilizer data (if installed)
v. Step-up transformer data (positive and zero sequence)
vi. Line impedance at the Connection Point (positive and zero sequence)
vii. System configuration (one-line diagram)
viii. Short circuit data
ix. Site load data
x. Point of delivery of excess generation
xi. Power factor limitations of the units
xii. Detailed location map
Unless otherwise indicated, the following information shall be supplied to
ZETCO prior to connection and then updated as and when changes occur.
(a) Demand and network data
Connection capacity Connection capacity required (MVA)

Measured and forecast For each point of supply, the information required is
data (annually) as follows:
A 10-year demand forecast
A description setting out the basis for the forecast
The season of peak demand
User network data Electrical single-line diagram of user network to a

level of detail to be agreed with ZETCO, including the
electrical characteristics of circuits and equipment
(R, X, B, R0, X0, B0, continuous and probabilistic
ratings)
Contribution from customer network to a three-phase
short-circuit at point of connection
Information pertaining to the network connecting
shunt capacitors, harmonic filters, reactors, SVC's,
etc., to the point of supply for the purposes of
conducting harmonic resonance studies.

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Electrical characteristics of all circuits and
equipment at a voltage lower than secondary voltage
levels of the customer connected to the Transmission
System that may form a closed tie between two
Connection Points on the Grid
Standby supply data Source of standby supply (alternative supply point(s))

(annually) Standby capacity required (MW)
General information For each new connection from a distributor or end-

use customer, the following information is required:
Number and type of switchbays required
Load build-up curve (in the case of new end-user
plant)
Supply date (start of load build-up)
Temporary construction supply requirements
Load type (e.g. arc furnaces, rectifiers, rolling mills,
residential, commercial, etc.)
Annual load factor
Power factor (including details of harmonic filters and
power factor correction capacitors)
Special requirements (e.g. quality of supply)
Other information reasonably required by the service
providers to provide the customer with an
appropriate supply (e.g. pollution emission levels for
insulation design)

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Disturbing loads Description of any load on the power System that
could adversely affect ZETCO target conditions for
power quality and the variation in the power quality
that can be expected at the point connected to the
Transmission System (The areas of concern here are,
firstly, motors with starting currents referred back
to the nominal voltage at the point of supply
exceeding 5% of the fault level at the point of supply;
and secondly, arc furnaces likely to produce flicker
levels at the point of supply in excess of the limits
specified in Section 3. The size limit for arc furnaces
is subject to local conditions in respect of fault levels
at the point of supply and background flicker
produced by other arc furnaces and other equipment
that will produce harmonics and/or negative and zero
sequence current components, such as large AC/DC
rectification installations.)
(b) Transmission System connected transformer data

Symbol Units
Number of windings
Vector group
Rated current of each A
winding
Transformer rating MVA
Transformer tertiary MVA
rating
Transformer nominal LV kV
voltage
Transformer nominal kV
tertiary voltage
Transformer nominal HV kV
voltage
Tapped winding HV/MV/LV/None
(Delete what is not
applicable)
Transformer ratio at all
transformer taps
Transformer impedance R+jX % on rating MVATrans
(resistance R and
reactance X) at all taps

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For three-winding ZHVMV, ZHVLV, & % on rating MVATrans
transformers, where ZMVLV % on rating MVATrans
there are external % on rating MVATrans
connections to all three
windings, the impedance
(resistance R and
reactance X) between
each pair of windings is
required, measured with
the third set of
terminals open-circuit
Transformer zero
sequence impedances at
nominal tap
Zero phase sequence Ohm
impedance measured
between the HV
terminals (shorted) and
the neutral terminal,
with the LV terminals
open-circuit
impedance measured
between the HV
with the LV terminals
short-circuited to the
neutral
impedance measured
between the LV
with the HV terminals
open-circuit
impedance measured
between the LV
with the HV terminals
short-circuited to the

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neutral
Zero phase sequence ZL 0 Ohm

leakage impedance
measured between the
HV terminals (shorted)
and the LV terminals
(shorted), with the Delta
winding closed
Earthing arrangement,
including LV neutral
earthing resistance and
reactance core
construction (number of
limbs, shell or core type)
Open-circuit Graph
characteristic
Transformer test certificates, from which actual technical detail can be

extracted as required, are to be supplied on reasonable request.
(c) Shunt capacitor or reactor data requirements

For each shunt capacit or or r eact or or power f act or cor r ect ion equipment or
har monic f ilt er s connect ed t o or capable of being connect ed t o a cust omer
net wor k, t he cust omer shall inf or m ZETCO and, if r equir ed, shall pr ovide
ZETCO wit h t he specif ic shunt capacit or or r eact or dat a as well as net wor k
det ails necessar y t o per f or m pr imar ily har monic r esonance st udies. The
cust omer shall inf or m ZETCO of his int ent ion t o ext end or modif y t his
equipment.
Any par t y t o t his code invest igat ing a complaint about har monic dist or t ion shall
have t he r ight t o r equest such addit ional inf or mat ion (including, but not
r est r ict ed t o, dat a f r om har monic dist or t ion measur ing devices) f r om par t ies in
t he vicinit y of t he sour ce of t he complaint as may r easonably be r equir ed t o
complete the investigation.

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Shunt capacitor or reactor rating Rating (MVAr)
Reactor/capacitor/harmonic filter (delete what is not applicable)
Location (station name)
Voltage rating KV
Resist ance/ r eact ance/ suscept ance of
all component s of t he capacit or or
reactor bank
Fixed or switched
If switched Cont r ol det ails (manual, t ime, load,
voltage, etc.)
If automatic control Det ails of set t ings. I f under FACTS
device cont r ol (e.g. SVC), which
device?
(d) Series capacitor or reactor data requirements

Ser ies capacit or s ar e inst alled in long t r ansmission lines t o incr ease load
t r ansf er capabilit y. Ser ies r eact or s ar e inst alled t o limit f ault levels, or t o
balance load shar ing bet ween cir cuit s oper at ed in par allel t hat would ot her wise
not shar e load equit ably, or t o balance load shar ing on an int er connect ed
network.
Reactor/capacitor (Delete what is not applicable)

Location (specify substation bay
where applicable)
Voltage rating KV
Impedance rating Ohm or MVAr
Current rating (continuous and Continuous: A
emergency, maximum times for Hours A
emergency ratings) Hours A
Hours A
Note: if a series capacitor or reactor is located in a dedicated reactor or

capacitor station (i.e. a substation built to hold only the series reactor or
capacitor), the lines or cables linking it to each remote end substation must be
specified as separate circuits under line or cable data.
Induction Motor data
Motor stating studies are done as part of grid impact studies carried out before
a connection or modification on a connection point. All motors rated 500kW or
more must therefore be specified as follows.

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Parameter Units
Rated Voltage V/kV
Rated Power kW
Rated Current Amp
Rated Speed
Rated power factor
Starting Current Amp
Starting Torque
Starting power factor
Peak Torque
Inertia
Generator planning data

Unless otherwise indicated, the following information shall be provided to
ZETCO prior to connection and then updated as and when changes occur.
(a) Power station data
Generator name
Power station name
Number of units
Primary fuel type/prime mover For example, gas, hydro, fossil or
nuclear
Secondary fuel type For example, oil
Capacity requirement Generation sent-out connection capacity
required (MW)
Rest ar t af t er st at ion blackout Provide a document containing the
capacity following:
Start-up time for the first unit (time
from restart initiation to synchronise)
and each of the following units assuming
that restarting of units will be
staggered
Black starting capacity A document stating the number of units
that can be black started at the same
time, preparation time for the first unit
black starting, restarting time for the
first unit, and restarting time for the
rest of the units
Partial load rejection capability A description of the amount of load the
unit can automatically govern back,
without any restrictions, as a function of

ZIMBABWE GRID CODE
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the load at the point of governing
initiation
Multiple unit tripping (MUT) Risks A document outlining all systems common
to more than one unit that is likely to
cause a MUT; discuss the measures
taken to reduce the risk of MUT
(b) Unit data
Unit number
Capacity Unit capacity (MW)
Units
Maximum continuous generation MW
capacity:
Maximum continuous sent out capacity MW
Unit auxiliary active load MW
Unit auxiliary reactive load MVAr
Maximum (EL1) generating capacity MW
Maximum (EL2) sent out capacity MW
Minimum continuous generating MW
capacity
Minimum continuous sent out capacity MW
Generator rating MVA
Maximum lagging power factor -
Maximum leading power factor -
Governor droop
Forbidden loading zones MW
Terminal voltage adjustment range KV
Short-circuit ratio
Rated stator current Amp
Time to synchronise from warm Hour
Time to synchronise from cold Hour
Minimum up-time Hour
Minimum down-time Hour
Loading rate MW/min
Deloading rate MW/min
Can the generator start on each fuel?
Ability to change fuels on-load
Available modes (lean burn etc.)
Time to change modes on-load

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Control range for secondary frequency MW
regulation operation
Partial load rejection capability % MW name plate rating
Minimum time unit operates in island Hour
mode
Maximum time unit operates in island Hour
mode
Description Data
Capability chart showing full range of Diagram
operating capability of the generator,
including thermal and excitation limits
Systems that are common and can Description
cause a multiple unit trip
Open-circuit magnetisation curves Graph
Short-circuit characteristic Graph
Zero power factor curve Graph
V curves Diagram
Documents Description
Protection setting document A document agreed and signed by ZETCO containing the following:
- A section defining the base values and per unit values to be used
- A single line diagram showing all the protection functions and
sources of current and voltage signals
- Protection tripping diagram(s) showing all the protection
functions and associated tripping logic and tripping functions
- A detailed description of settings relevant to the Transmission
System connection.
- A section containing a summary of all protection settings. - A
section containing a summary for each of the protection relay
programming details
- An annex containing OEM information sheets or documents

describing how the protection relays function
-Information to Grid Users on protection schemes, fault levels
and settings on the Grid circuits at the connection points
- Information to generators and Grid Users on Standards
pertaining to commissioning and maintenance procedures as per
the stated Standard Documents on Section 7 of this Grid Code
- Information to be furnished to ZETCO by Grid users pertaining
t o r elevant pr ot ect ion schemes, f ault levels and set t ings at t he

ZIMBABWE GRID CODE
_______________________________________________________
Connection Points.
- I nf or mat ion t o be f ur nished by ZETCO r elevant t o t he
gener at or s pr ot ect ion schemes, f ault levels and set t ings
on t he gener at or s equipment at t he Connect ion Point .
Excitation setting document A document agreed and signed by ZETCO containing the following:
- A single line diagram showing all the excitation system functions
and all the related protection tripping functions
- An excitation system transfer function block diagram in
accordance with IEEE or IEC standard models
- A detailed description of setting calculation for each of the
excitation system functions, discussion on function stability
calculations, and detailed dial settings on the excitation system in
order to achieve the required setting
- A section containing a summary of all settings on a per unit basis
- A section containing a summary for each of the excitation
system dial settings/programming details.
- An annex containing plant information data (e.g. OEM data) on
which the settings are based
- An annex containing OEM information sheets or documents
describing the performance of the overall excitation system and
each excitation function for which a setting is derived

ZIMBABWE GRID CODE
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Governor setting document A document agreed and signed by ZETCO containing the following:
- A single line diagram showing all the governor system functions
and all the related protection tripping functions
- A governor system transfer function block diagram in
accordance with IEEE standard models
- A detailed description of setting calculation for each of the
governor system functions, discussion on function stability
calculations, and detailed dial settings on the governor system in
order to achieve the required setting
- A section containing a summary of all settings on a per unit basis
- A section containing a summary for each of the governor system
dial settings/programming details
- An annex containing plant information data on which the settings
are based
- An annex containing information sheets or documents describing
the performance of the overall governor system and each
governor function for which a setting is derived
(c) Reserve capability

The generator shall provide ZETCO with the reserve capability of each unit at
each power station. The reserve capability shall be indicated as per each reserve
category: instantaneous reserve, regulating reserve, emergency reserve, ten (10)
minute reserve and supplemental reserve.
(d) Unit parameters
Symbol Units
Direct axis synchronous Xd % on rating
reactance
Direct axis transient Xsatd' % on rating
reactance saturated
Direct axis transient Xunsatd' % on rating
reactance unsaturated
Sub-transient reactance Xqd""= % on rating
unsaturated
Quad axis synchronous Xq % on rating
reactance
Quad axis transient Xunsatq' % on rating
reactance unsaturated
Negative phase X2 % on rating
sequence synchronous

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reactance
Zero phase sequence Xq0 % on rating

reactance
Turbine generator H MW s/MVA
inertia constant for
entire rotating mass
Stator resistance Ra % on rating
Stator leakage XL % on rating
reactance
Poiter reactance XP % on rating
Generator time Tdo sec

constants: Tdo sec
Direct axis open-circuit
transient
Direct axis open-circuit
Sub-transient
Quad axis open-circuit Tqo sec
t ransient Tqo sec
Quad axis open-circuit Td sec
sub-transient Td sec
Direct axis short- Tq sec
circuit transient Tq sec
Direct axis short-
circuit sub-transient
Quad axis short-circuit
transient
Quad axis short-circuit
sub-transient
Speed damping D
Saturation ratio at 1 pu S(1.0)
terminal voltage
Saturation ratio at 1.2 S(1.2)
pu terminal voltage
(e) Excitation system

The gener at or shall f ill in t he f ollowing par amet er s or supply a Laplace domain
cont r ol block diagr am in accor dance wit h I EEE or I EC st andar d excit at ion
models (or as ot her wise agr eed wit h ZETCO) complet ely specif ying all t ime
const ant s and gains t o f ully explain t he t r ansf er f unct ion f r om t he compensat or
or unit t er minal volt age and f ield cur r ent t o unit f ield volt age. Cust omer s shall
per f or m, or cause t o be per f or med, small signal dynamic st udies t o ensur e t hat

ZIMBABWE GRID CODE
_______________________________________________________
t he pr oposed excit at ion syst em and t ur bine gover nor do not cause dynamic
inst abilit y. The cr it er ia f or such dynamic inst abilit y shall be supplied by ZETCO.
Wher e applicable, a PSS (power syst em st abiliser ) shall be included in t he
excit at ion syst em t o ensur e pr oper t uning of t he excit at ion syst em f or st abilit y
purposes.
Symbol Units
Excitation system Text
type (AC or DC)
Excitation feeding Text
arrangement (solid
or shunt)
Excitation system Tr Sec
filter time constant
Excitation system Tc Sec
lead time constant
Excitation system Tb Sec
lag time constant
Excitation system Ka
controller gain
Excitation system Ta Sec
controller lag time
constant
Excitation system Vmax p.u.
maximum controller
output
Excitation system Vmin p.u.
minimum controller
output
Excitation system Kc
regulation factor
Excitation system Kf
rate feedback gain
Excitation system Tf Sec
rate feedback time
constant
(f) Speed governor system, turbine and boiler models

The gener at or shall supply a Laplace domain cont r ol block diagr am in accor dance
wit h I EEE st andar d pr ime mover models f or t her mal and hydr o unit s (or as
otherwise agr eed wit h ZETCO), f ully specif ying all t ime const ant s and gains t o
f ully explain t he t r ansf er f unct ion f or t he gover nor , t ur bine, penst ocks and
control systems in relation to frequency deviations and set-point operation.

ZIMBABWE GRID CODE
_______________________________________________________
(g) Control devices and protection relays
The gener at or should supply any addit ional Laplace domain cont r ol diagr ams f or
any out st anding cont r ol devices (including power syst em st abiliser s) or special
pr ot ect ion r elays in t he unit t hat aut omat ically impinge on it s oper at ing
characterist ics wit hin 30 seconds f ollowing a syst em dist ur bance and t hat have
a minimum time constant of at least 0,02 seconds.
(h) Unit step- up transformer
Symbol Units
Number of windings
Vector group
Rated current of each Amps
winding
Transformer rating MVATrans
Transformer nominal KV
LV voltage
Transformer nominal KV
HV voltage
Tapped winding
Transformer ratio at
all transformer taps
Transformer % on rating MVATrans
impedance at all taps
(for three winding
transformers the
HV/LV1, HV/LV2 and
LV1/LV2 impedances
together with
associated bases shall
be provided)
Transformer zero Z0 Ohm
sequence impedance at
nominal tap
Earthing arrangement,
including neutral
earthing resistance
and reactance
Core construction
(number of limbs, shell
or core type)
Open-circuit Graph
characteristic

ZIMBABWE GRID CODE
_______________________________________________________
(i) Unit forecast data
The generator shall provide ZETCO with expected maintenance requirements, in

weeks per annum, for each unit at a power station.
(j) Mothballing of generating plant:
Mothballing of generating plant is the withdrawal of plant from commercial

service for six months or longer, with the intention of returning it to commercial
service at a later date. Mothballing can have a profound impact on the operation
and integrity of the Transmission System. Customers wishing to mothball
generating plant shall supply ZETCO with the following information:
Generator name
Power station name
Unit number
Date withdrawn Date unit is to be withdrawn from
commercial service
Return to commercial service Envisaged return to service date
(recommissioning tests completed and unit
available for commercial service)
Auxiliary power requirements
(k) Return to service of mothballed generating plant:

Once the customer has decided to return mothballed generating plant to
service, ZETCO requires the information specified for new connections.
(m) Decommissioning of generating plant:

Decommissioning of plant is the permanent withdrawal from service of
generating plant. ZETCO requires the following with a one-year notice period:
Generator name
Power station name
Unit number
Date to be removed from
commercial service
Auxiliary supplies required for kVA, point at which supply is
dismantling and demolition require, duration

ZIMBABWE GRID CODE
_______________________________________________________
(n) Long Term Demand and Supply Balance
Generator Name
Power Station
Production Cost Fixed production costs
Variable production costs
Start up costs
Capital Costs
Fuel costs
Plant maintenance data Days and period of the year
Fuel consumption data
Heat rates
Heat values
Environmental emission data
Plant limitations and constraints

ZIMBABWE GRID CODE
_______________________________________________________
( o) Operations Data
Generator reactive power Generators to furnish ZETCO of the

capability reactive capability of their machines as
installed and as available for dispatch
each time they declare available capacity
for energy dispatch.
Load following capability Generators to declare their load following
capability and inform ZETCO of any
variations in that capability
Reactive power compensation Grid users to furnish ZETCO information
equipment on installed reactive compensation
equipment; its rating, controllability and
availability
Power requirements Grid users to furnish ZETCO of their
power requirements including expected
reactive power support at least a day
ahead or any other such period as may be
agreed between the two parties

ZIMBABWE GRID CODE
_______________________________________________________
APPENDIX II
SAMPLE CONFI DENTI ALI TY AGREEMENT FOR
INFORMATION TRANSFER TO THIRD PARTIES
CONFIDENTIALITY AGREEMENT
BETWEEN
.
(HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AS THE INFORMATION OWNER)
AND
.
(HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AS THE RECIPIENT)
IN RESPECT OF INFORMATION SUPPLIED TO PERFORM THE FOLLOWING
WORK:
(HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AS THE WORK)

ON BEHALF OF
..
(HEREINAFTER REFERRED TO AS THE CLIENT).
1. The Recipient agrees to treat all information

(hereinafter referred to as the Information)
received from the Information Owner, whether in
hard copy or electronic format, as strictly
confidential.
2. The Recipient agrees to disclose the Information
only to persons who are in his permanent employ, and
who require access to the Information to perform
their duties in respect of the Work on behalf of the
Client.
3. Persons other than those described in Clause 2
above, including but not restricted to temporary
employees, subcontractors, and sub-consultants,
shall enter into separate Confidentiality Agreements
with the Information Owner prior to receiving the
Information.
4. The Recipient undertakes to use the Information
only to perform the Work on behalf of the Client,
and for no other purpose whatsoever.
5. On completion of the Work, the Recipient shall at
his expense return to the Information Owner all
hard copy material and electronic media containing

ZIMBABWE GRID CODE
_______________________________________________________
the Information supplied to him by the Information
Owner. The Recipient shall furthermore ensure that
all duplicate copies of the Information in his or his
employees possession (elect r onic as well as har d
copy format) are destroyed.
6. The Recipient shall take all reasonable measures to
protect the security and integrity of the
Information.
7. If requested to do so by the Information Owner,
the Recipient shall forthwith at his expense return
to the Information Owner all hard copy material and
computer disks containing the Information supplied
to him by the Information Owner. The Recipient
shall furthermore ensure that all duplicate copies of
t he I nf or mat ion in his or his employees possession
(electronic as well as hard copy format) are
destroyed.
8. The Recipient shall report any leak of the
Information, howsoever caused, to the Information
Owner as soon as practicable after he/she becomes
aware of the leak, and shall provide the Information
Owner with all reasonable assistance to ensure its
recovery or destruction (as deemed appropriate by
the Information Owner).
Signed at on t his t he day of .
by (f ull name) .in his/ her capacit y as
. on behalf of , t he I nf or mat ion
Owner
Signed at on t his t he day of .
by (f ull name) .in his/ her capacit y as
. on behalf of , t he Recipient

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ZIMBABWE GRID CODE

Zimbabwe Grid Code Page 1 of 188 November 2005

PURPOSE OF GRID CODE ....................................................................................................... 24

OBJECTIVES OF THE GRID CODE ............................................................................................ 24

CONTENT OF THE GRID CODE................................................................................................ 25

GOVERNANCE OF THE CODE .................................................................................................. 44

1.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 44

1.2 Objective ............................................................................................................ 44

1.3 Responsibilities ...................................................................................................... 44

1.4 Grid Code Review Panel............................................................................................. 44

1.5 Standing Committees to deal with specific issues ............................................................... 45

1.6 Grid Code Review Panel Rules...................................................................................... 45

1.7 Functions of the Grid Code Review Panel ......................................................................... 46

1.8 Grid Code Review and Revisions Procedures ...................................................................... 46

1.9 Disputes ............................................................................................................. 47

1.9.1 Disputes regarding interpretation of the Grid Code ............................................................. 47

1.9.2 Dispute pertaining to issues not covered by the Grid Code..................................................... 47

1.9.3 Continuity of Functioning of Grid Users .......................................................................... 47

1.9.4 Unforeseen Circumstances ......................................................................................... 48

GRID CONNECTION CODE ..................................................................................................... 49

2.1 Introduction ......................................................................................................... 49

2.1.1 Purpose .............................................................................................................. 49

2.1.2 Scope of Grid Connection Requirements .......................................................................... 49

2.2 Grid Technical, Design and Operational Criteria ................................................................. 50

2.2.1 Power Quality Standards........................................................................................... 50

2.2.2 Frequency Variation ................................................................................................ 50

Zimbabwe Grid Code Page 2 of 188 November 2005

2.2.4 Harmonics ........................................................................................................... 51

2.2.5 Voltage Unbalance .................................................................................................. 51

2.2.6 Voltage Fluctuation and Flicker Severity ......................................................................... 51

2.2.7 Transient Voltage Variations....................................................................................... 51

2.2.8 Grounding Requirements ............................................................................................ 51

2.2.9 Equipment Standards ............................................................................................... 51

2.3 Requirements for Grid Connection or Modification............................................................... 52

2.3.1 Connection Agreement .............................................................................................. 52

2.3.2 Amended Connection Agreement................................................................................... 52

2.3.3 Grid Impact Studies................................................................................................ 52

2.3.4 Procedures for Application for Connection or Modification ..................................................... 53

2.3.5 Processing of Application ........................................................................................... 54

2.3.6 Submittals Prior to the Commissioning Date...................................................................... 54

2.3.7 Commissioning of Equipment and Physical Connection to the Grid .............................................. 55

2.4 Requirements For Large Generators .............................................................................. 55

2.4.1 Requirements Relating to the Connection Point................................................................... 55

2.4.2 Generating Unit Power Output ..................................................................................... 56

2.4.3 Frequency Withstand Capability ................................................................................... 56

2.4.4 Unbalance Loading Withstand Capability.......................................................................... 56

2.4.5 Speed- Governing System........................................................................................... 57

2.4.6 Excitation Control System ......................................................................................... 57

2.4.7 Black Start Capability .............................................................................................. 57

2.4.8 Fast Start Capability............................................................................................... 58

2.4.9 Protection Arrangements ........................................................................................... 58

2.4.10 Transformer Connection and Grounding ........................................................................... 59

2.5 REQUIREMENTS FOR DISTRIBUTORS AND OTHER GRID USERS.......................................... 59

2.5.1 Requirements Relating to the Connection Point................................................................... 59

2.5.2 Protection Arrangements ........................................................................................... 59

Zimbabwe Grid Code Page 3 of 188 November 2005

2.5.4 Underfrequency Relays for Automatic Load Shedding........................................................... 60

2.6 COMMUNICATION AND SCADA EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS ............................................ 60