Harare - A consortium of French companies has received permission from the Zimbabwe government to build a 2,000 MW thermoelectric power plant costing about $3 million. The news was reported in an interview given to a local news agency by the Minister of Energy, Elton Mangoma, who revealed that once the plant is operational it will improve the current lack of electricity in the country, "which will be able to rely on constant energy needed by industries." The new plant will be built in Binga, in the northern province of Matebeleland. At the moment the only electric company in the country, Zesa Holdings, manages plants that generate 1,400 MW of energy while the country needs over 2,000.