ZRA calls for public input on development of Batoka Gorge Hydro-electric Power Station

 The Zambezi River Authority has called on the public and other interested stakeholders to a consultative meeting next Tuesday in Victoria Falls on the proposed Batoka Gorge Hydro-electric Power Station to be jointly developed by Zimbabwe and Zambia on the Zambezi River.

The US$5 billion project is expected to generate 2 400 MW for the two countries that have endured power shortages, negatively affecting their respective economies.

“The ZRA proposes to develop the Batoka Gorge Hydro-electric Scheme, a major power generation project with an installed capacity of up to 2,400 MW, along the Zambezi River, which forms the common boundary between Zambia and Zimbabwe,” read part of a statement from ZRA.

“The project involves the construction of a dam wall across the Zambezi River, approximately 47 km downstream of Victoria Falls, and the development of two power stations, one on the Zambian side and the other on the Zimbabwean side of the River. The project will also include the development of townships on both sides of the River.

“The consultations are being done in accordance with the Environmental Management Act and the Environmental Management (Environmental impact Assessment and Ecosystems Protection) Regulations (S17 of 2007), which compels ZRA to conduct public consultation meetings for such projects

“As part of the Environmental Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) process, these meetings aim to inform stakeholders about the proposed project and provide an opportunity to submit views, concerns, and recommendations.

“The ZRA, therefore, cordially invites members of the public, Traditional Leaders, Government Agencies, Local Authorities, Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs), Faith-Based Organisations (FBOs), Community-Based Organisations (CBOs), the business community, and all other interested and affected parties to attend the public meetings,” read part of the statement.

The two countries have already committed US$440 million as seed capital for the project.

Zimbabwe and Zambia also share the Kariba Dam Hydro-electric Power Station.

Source: ZRA calls for public input on development of Batoka Gorge Hydro-electric Power Station (23/08/2026)

Read more:

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (23rd April 2026) ZRA calls for public input on development of Batoka Gorge Hydro-electric Power Station.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (1st April 2026) $4.2BN Power Play: Zambia and Zimbabwe Partner on Batoka Gorge Hydropower Project.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (15th February 2026) Fresh momentum for Batoka Gorge Hydro-Electric Scheme.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (31st December 2025) Zimbabwe, Zambia commit US$440m to Batoka Gorge project.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (4th December 2025) AFRY to update key studies for Batoka Gorge project, Zambia.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (2nd June 2025) Zimbabwe And Zambia Renew Investor Search For Batoka Gorge Project.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (3rd May 2025) Zambia, Zimbabwe Court Investors to Revive $5 Billion Hydro Dam.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (22nd November 2024) Zambezi River Authority updates Batoka project feasibility studies.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (27th March 2024) Zambia and Zimbabwe to retender $5bn Batoka Gorge hydropower plant

See also the Keep Victoria Falls Wild website.

$4.2BN Power Play: Zambia and Zimbabwe Partner on Batoka Gorge Hydropower Project

 The Zambezi River Authority’s Council of Ministers has approved a $220 million equity contribution from both the Zimbabwean and Zambian governments to kickstart a $4.2 billion Batoka Gorge Hydro-Electric project along the Zambezi River.

The Zambezi River Authority, which manages the Kariba Dam and the sustainable harnessing of the Zambezi River’s water resources, is governed by a Council of Ministers (COM) consisting of four members. Two are ministers in Zambia’s government, and two are ministers in Zimbabwe’s government.

Feasibility studies are underway, and a public-private partnership model is being explored to implement the Batoka Gorge Hydro-Electric Scheme (BGHES) project, which aims to boost energy production and reduce power shortages in both countries. The project involves constructing a 2,400 MW hydropower plant on the Zambezi River.

Currently, Zambia and Zimbabwe are experiencing an electricity crisis, as the Kariba Dam, which generates most of the electricity for the two countries, is still recovering from a devastating 2024 El Niño-induced drought. Water levels in the dam remain too low to generate sufficient hydroelectricity for both countries.

The El Niño drought, the worst in over 4 decades, wiped out crops, killed millions of livestock, and reduced water levels in major dams and rivers in many countries in Southern Africa, resulting in some residential areas in Zimbabwe and Zambia going for more than 20 hours a day without electricity. Climate change droughts have become more frequent and devastating over the past two decades. Businesses in both countries have closed due to electricity shortages, with small businesses hit hardest. In Zimbabwe’s city of Mutare, the once bustling home industries have now gone quiet.

In a communiqué issued by the Zambezi River Authority Council of Ministers following its 43rd meeting on December 29, 2025, in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, the council noted progress on the energy project.

“Whilst COM noted the progress, it directed that the timelines for the implementation of the project be revised as agreed by the two Heads of State [Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Zambian counterpart Hakainde Hichilema] at the Bi-National Commission meeting held in Zimbabwe in November 2025 with a view to accelerating the implementation of the project,” the Council of Ministers says in a statement.

The Council of Ministers reaffirmed its commitment to a public-private partnership model and approved a $220 million equity contribution from each government, including the exploration of equity partnerships to enhance bankability.

“This allocation will be for the BGHES dam construction for the budget cycle beginning 2026,” the Council of Ministers adds.

A resource mobilization committee, whose objective is to raise funds for the publicly owned dam infrastructure component of the project, will be led by the ministers responsible for finance in Zimbabwe and Zambia.

The proposed Batoka Gorge Hydro-Electric Scheme is located on the Zambezi River about 47 kilometers downstream of Victoria Falls. It was first conceived in 1972, following a comprehensive study commissioned by the predecessor of the Zambezi River Authority, the Central African Power Corporation. Over the past decades, the energy project has continued to evolve, incorporating modern engineering practices and sustainability considerations to ensure it meets the highest standards of efficiency and environmental stewardship.

However, Zimbabwe energy expert Eddie Cross remains skeptical about the viability and success of the Batoka Gorge Hydro-Electric project. Cross tells The Energy Pioneer that when the Batoka Gorge Hydro-Electric Scheme project was originally proposed, the cost of the dam and power plant was estimated at US$7 billion.

Cross is currently the chairman of Green Hybrid Power and the Intensive Energy Users Group, a consortium of mining and industrial firms spearheading the Kariba floating solar energy project.

“A Zambian investigation found substantial inflation of costs, and the project was cancelled. It is a poor site located in the gorge below the falls. It depends on river flow, and the amount of power generated will be dependent on river flow – peak in March and very low in October. This will make it expensive to operate,” says Cross, who is also a former legislator and advisor to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe.

Cross adds that in the lower Zambezi, Mozambique has several sites that are much more productive because the river flow is boosted by several rivers, such as Kafue, Luangwa, and Shiri, and the two major dams, Kariba and Cahora Bassa, regulate flow.

“These sites could generate up to 6000 megawatts at low costs and are a much better option,” he says.

Meanwhile, progress is being made on the Devils Gorge Hydro-Electric Scheme and the Kariba Floating Solar PV Project.

The Devils Gorge Hydro-Electric Scheme (DGHES), the Zambezi River Authority’s Council of Ministers says, is undergoing prefeasibility studies by Tractebel Engineering, which have delivered the inception report, environmental and social screening report, and options assessment report.

At the same time, progress continues on the Kariba Floating Solar PV Project, including the African Development Bank’s completion of consultant evaluations and the appointment of a joint-venture consortium to conduct feasibility studies. The 600 MW floating solar PV power plant on Lake Kariba will be implemented in three phases, starting with 150 MW in the second quarter of this year.

However, with millions of Zambians and Zimbabweans enduring prolonged electricity outages, the Batoka Gorge Hydro-Electric project offers hope to many. However, given the project’s high cost, it remains to be seen whether it will come to fruition; time will tell.

Source: $4.2BN Power Play: Zambia and Zimbabwe Partner on Batoka Gorge Hydropower Project (01/04/2026)

Read more:

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (23rd April 2026) ZRA calls for public input on development of Batoka Gorge Hydro-electric Power Station.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (1st April 2026) $4.2BN Power Play: Zambia and Zimbabwe Partner on Batoka Gorge Hydropower Project.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (15th February 2026) Fresh momentum for Batoka Gorge Hydro-Electric Scheme.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (31st December 2025) Zimbabwe, Zambia commit US$440m to Batoka Gorge project.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (4th December 2025) AFRY to update key studies for Batoka Gorge project, Zambia.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (2nd June 2025) Zimbabwe And Zambia Renew Investor Search For Batoka Gorge Project.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (3rd May 2025) Zambia, Zimbabwe Court Investors to Revive $5 Billion Hydro Dam.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (22nd November 2024) Zambezi River Authority updates Batoka project feasibility studies.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (27th March 2024) Zambia and Zimbabwe to retender $5bn Batoka Gorge hydropower plant

See also the Keep Victoria Falls Wild website.

AFRY to update key studies for Batoka Gorge project, Zambia

AFRY has secured a contract from the Zambezi River Authority, the organisation jointly owned by Zambia and Zimbabwe, to update the feasibility study and Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) for the Batoka Gorge hydroelectric scheme.

The proposed plant, to be sited in the Batoka Gorge about 47km downstream of Victoria Falls, is planned to have an installed capacity of up to 2400MW.

“We are committed to advancing sustainable hydropower solutions utilising the potential of the Zambezi River. Hydropower is a cornerstone of the global energy transition, and we are delighted to be part of empowering communities with reliable, renewable energy solutions that stand the test of time,” said Ernst Zeller, Segment Head, Hydro at AFRY.

Under the contract, AFRY will review earlier studies and update them with detailed technical, economic, and operational analyses aimed at optimising the plant’s layout and operations. The work will include assessments of hydrology and climate change, installed capacity, reservoir operations, energy production, and the associated transmission system.

The assignment also covers updates to the environmental and social impact assessments, a review of the implementation schedule, and preparation of tender documents.

Source: AFRY to update key studies for Batoka Gorge project, Zambia (04/12/2025)

Read more:

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (15th February 2026) Fresh momentum for Batoka Gorge Hydro-Electric Scheme.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (31st December 2025) Zimbabwe, Zambia commit US$440m to Batoka Gorge project.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (4th December 2025) AFRY to update key studies for Batoka Gorge project, Zambia.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (2nd June 2025) Zimbabwe And Zambia Renew Investor Search For Batoka Gorge Project.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (3rd May 2025) Zambia, Zimbabwe Court Investors to Revive $5 Billion Hydro Dam.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (22nd November 2024) Zambezi River Authority updates Batoka project feasibility studies.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (27th March 2024) Zambia and Zimbabwe to retender $5bn Batoka Gorge hydropower plant

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (27th September 2023) World Heritage Committee Dilutes Reaction to Batoka Gorge HydroElectric Scheme.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (16th June 2023) Zambia looks to cancel $5 billion Batoka Gorge HES project.

See also the Keep Victoria Falls Wild website.

Zimbabwe And Zambia Renew Investor Search For Batoka Gorge Project

 Zimbabwe and Zambia, through the Zambezi River Authority (ZRA), have revived the Batoka Gorge Hydropower Project, a 2,400-megawatt facility planned downstream of Victoria Falls, which remains one of their most ambitious initiatives.

First proposed in 1992, the site, about 54 kilometres below the falls, was identified for its hydroelectric potential.

Backed by early feasibility studies from the World Bank, the project was meant to boost power supply for Zimbabwe and Zambia and reduce regional energy shortages.

However, progress stalled due to strained international relations, environmental concerns, and a lack of funding.

The project was dormant until 2012, when renewed interest led to a 2014 memorandum of understanding between Zimbabwe and Zambia.

The African Development Bank supported updated studies, and in 2019, General Electric (GE) of the United States and Power Construction Corporation of China were awarded the contract under a build-operate-transfer model.

However, the COVID-19 pandemic, questions over procurement transparency, and Zambia’s 2023 withdrawal from the deal further derailed progress.

ZRA is now intensifying efforts to attract new investors to the Batoka Gorge project.

ZRA Chief Executive Officer Munyaradzi Munodawafa confirmed that a dedicated project team has been established to spearhead the resource mobilisation campaign. He said:

The ZRA has formed a team that will court investors in the proposed 2,400-megawatt facility. This facility will be located near the World Heritage Site, Victoria Falls.

He said the resource mobilisation drive is expected to run for the next 12 to 18 months, depending on investor interest, market conditions, and ongoing political backing from both Zimbabwean and Zambian governments.

Zambia and Zimbabwe have also set a September 2025 deadline to pick new bidders, following the cancellation of the 2019 deal.

Source: Zimbabwe And Zambia Renew Investor Search For Batoka Gorge Project (1/6/25)

Read more:

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (15th February 2026) Fresh momentum for Batoka Gorge Hydro-Electric Scheme.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (31st December 2025) Zimbabwe, Zambia commit US$440m to Batoka Gorge project.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (4th December 2025) AFRY to update key studies for Batoka Gorge project, Zambia.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (2nd June 2025) Zimbabwe And Zambia Renew Investor Search For Batoka Gorge Project.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (3rd May 2025) Zambia, Zimbabwe Court Investors to Revive $5 Billion Hydro Dam.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (22nd November 2024) Zambezi River Authority updates Batoka project feasibility studies.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (27th March 2024) Zambia and Zimbabwe to retender $5bn Batoka Gorge hydropower plant

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (27th September 2023) World Heritage Committee Dilutes Reaction to Batoka Gorge HydroElectric Scheme.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (16th June 2023) Zambia looks to cancel $5 billion Batoka Gorge HES project.

See also the Keep Victoria Falls Wild website.

Zambia, Zimbabwe Court Investors to Revive $5 Billion Hydro Dam

(Bloomburg UK, 02/05/25)

Zambia and Zimbabwe are ramping up efforts to secure investment for the long-delayed $5 billion Batoka Gorge hydropower project, as they revive a controversial plan to potentially source water from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The Zambezi River Authority — a joint venture between the southern African nations that maintain the Kariba Dam complex — formed a team that will court investors in the proposed 2,400-megawatt facility that lies near World Heritage site Victoria Falls, Chief Executive Officer Munyaradzi Munodawafa said.

“The resource mobilization effort is targeting a time-frame of 12 to 18 months, subject to investor confidence, market conditions, and ongoing bilateral support from the Governments of Zambia and Zimbabwe,” he said in an emailed response to questions.

Work on the Batoka Gorge project had been scheduled to start in 2020, before being delayed by the onset of the coronavirus pandemic and difficulties in securing funding. Last year, Zambia announced its withdrawal from a 2019 contract previously awarded to General Electric Co. and Power Construction Corp. of China, citing irregular procurement methods.

The two countries previously set a deadline of selecting new bidders by September this year. Efforts to raise funding face further obstacles: both Zambia and Zimbabwe are currently in debt distress, with Zimbabwe owing $21 billion to creditors and Zambia still finalizing a restructuring after defaulting on its loans five years ago.

“It may be very expensive to mobilize for both countries,” said Prosper Chitambara, a Harare-based economist. “The costs will be on the high side given the debt distress both Zambia and Zimbabwe are facing.”

To bolster Kariba’s capacity and counter the effects of erratic rainfall caused by climate change, the two nations are also weighing a plan to divert as much as 16 billion cubic meters (4.3 trillion gallons) of water annually from the Congo River. While that might stabilize inflows into Kariba, challenges remain, including the high energy demands of pumping water uphill and topographical constraints.

“Detailed feasibility studies, including technical, environmental, and economic assessments, will further guide the determination of implementation time-lines and cost estimates,” Munodawafa said. Passive gravity-fed or canal systems are being considered as alternatives to energy-intensive pumping.

Inflows into Lake Kariba, the world’s largest man-made reservoir, have dwindled because of El Niño-induced droughts, threatening energy reliability in the two mining-intensive nations. Both countries have also, on a regular basis, drained the dam by exceeding their allocations from the authority of how much water they are permitted to put through the power turbines.

The lake currently supplies about half the electricity needs for both countries.

“Regarding funding, climate-related financing mechanisms are being explored,” Munodawafa said.

Experts have previously cast skepticism on a suggestion by a Zambian official six years ago that water could be fed from the Congo River — the world’s second-biggest river by volume — to the source of the Zambezi River in northwestern Zambia via canals. The Zambezi is the main source of water for the Kariba dam.

Source: Zambia, Zimbabwe Court Investors to Revive $5 Billion Hydro Dam (Bloomburg UK, 02/05/25)

Read more:

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (15th February 2026) Fresh momentum for Batoka Gorge Hydro-Electric Scheme.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (31st December 2025) Zimbabwe, Zambia commit US$440m to Batoka Gorge project.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (4th December 2025) AFRY to update key studies for Batoka Gorge project, Zambia.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (2nd June 2025) Zimbabwe And Zambia Renew Investor Search For Batoka Gorge Project.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (3rd May 2025) Zambia, Zimbabwe Court Investors to Revive $5 Billion Hydro Dam.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (22nd November 2024) Zambezi River Authority updates Batoka project feasibility studies.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (27th March 2024) Zambia and Zimbabwe to retender $5bn Batoka Gorge hydropower plant

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (27th September 2023) World Heritage Committee Dilutes Reaction to Batoka Gorge HydroElectric Scheme.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (16th June 2023) Zambia looks to cancel $5 billion Batoka Gorge HES project.

See also the Keep Victoria Falls Wild website.

Zambia and Zimbabwe to retender $5bn Batoka Gorge hydropower plant

Bids will be received by April 2025, with selection taking place by September.

Zambia and Zimbabwe are planning to retender the Batoka Gorge hydropower project with an estimated value of $5bn and a capacity of 2.4GW, Bloomberg has reported.

The Zambezi River Authority (ZRA), a joint venture between the two countries, is set to receive bids by April 2025, with the new potential developers expected by September of the same year.

The ZRA, which maintains the Kariba Dam complex, is preparing for an influx of proposals from interested developers.

 The Batoka Gorge hydropower plant is planned for a site on the Zambezi River, 54km downstream from Victoria Falls, straddling the border between the two nations.

The project was initially awarded to General Electric (GE) and Power Construction Corporation of China (Power China) but has since been subject to retendering.

Originally set to commence in 2020, it has faced multiple setbacks including the Covid-19 pandemic and challenges in obtaining financial backing.

 In June 2023, Zambian Energy Minister Peter Kapala announced the country’s withdrawal from the 2019 agreement with GE and Power China, citing irregularities in the procurement process.

The southern African region is currently experiencing a severe drought attributed to the El Niño weather pattern, leading to increased food prices and impacting low-income families. Zambia has declared this a national disaster.

ZRA CEO Munyaradzi Munodawafa states that developing water reserve buffers is a priority.

Munodawafa was quoted by Bloomberg as saying: “Additional hydroelectric schemes will facilitate reservoir regulation for power generation and flood management.

“This means generation will be increased at Batoka during the peak season while water will be banked at the Kariba Dam for use during the dry season.”

Despite falling water levels at the Kariba Dam, which is shared by Zambia and Zimbabwe, Munodawafa has dismissed the possibility of decommissioning the facility.

For the remainder of 2024, the ZRA has apportioned eight billion cubic metres of water to Zambian power utility Zesco and Zimbabwe Power. This will enable each to generate 214MW of electricity.

Munodawafa went on: “Batoka will serve as a mitigation measure to some of the hydrological problems at Kariba, while at the same time directly contributing a significant increase to the desperately needed power supply capacity of Zambia and Zimbabwe.”

 Source:  Zambia and Zimbabwe to retender $5bn Batoka Gorge hydropower plant (26/03/24) 

Read more:

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (15th February 2026) Fresh momentum for Batoka Gorge Hydro-Electric Scheme.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (31st December 2025) Zimbabwe, Zambia commit US$440m to Batoka Gorge project.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (4th December 2025) AFRY to update key studies for Batoka Gorge project, Zambia.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (2nd June 2025) Zimbabwe And Zambia Renew Investor Search For Batoka Gorge Project.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (3rd May 2025) Zambia, Zimbabwe Court Investors to Revive $5 Billion Hydro Dam.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (22nd November 2024) Zambezi River Authority updates Batoka project feasibility studies.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (27th March 2024) Zambia and Zimbabwe to retender $5bn Batoka Gorge hydropower plant

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (27th September 2023) World Heritage Committee Dilutes Reaction to Batoka Gorge HydroElectric Scheme.

Victoria Falls Bits and Blogs (16th June 2023) Zambia looks to cancel $5 billion Batoka Gorge HES project.

See also the Keep Victoria Falls Wild website.

Prefeasibility studies sought for Devil’s Gorge scheme on Zambezi river

 The Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) invites expressions of interest by 28 June from qualified consultants to undertake prefeasibility studies for the development of the proposed Devil’s Gorge hydroelectric scheme. In the execution of the services, the consultant will be required to cooperate and liaise with the executing agency the ZRA, which is jointly owned by the Governments of the Republics of Zambia and Zimbabwe and mandated to operate, monitor, and maintain the Kariba dam complex as well as develop the full hydropower potential of the stretch of the Zambezi river (from Kazungula to Kanyemba) that forms a common border between the two states.

The Devil’s Gorge scheme, which is planned to be located at the tail end of the Kariba Dam, downstream of the confluence of the Gwayi and Zambezi rivers, was conceived in 1972 out of a study instituted by the Central African Power Corporation (CAPCO), the predecessor of the ZRA. The aim of the study was to identify possible power sources in terms of which the intergovernmental institution could develop to meet the power demands of Zambia and Zimbabwe. Its recommended scheme included a 181 m-high concrete arch dam, 65 m of which are below the water level of the river, two underground power stations on each side of the river with a total capacity of 1240 MW. The normal retention level of EL 595 was selected, which would impound a reservoir of 33 x 109 m3

In 1992-93, a feasibility study, on the Batoka Gorge Hydroelectric Scheme, was commissioned by the authority during which the Devil’s Gorge Scheme was looked at in greater detail and reserved as one of the potential sites for future development. In addition, the authority requested Tractebel Engineering France (TEF) to undertake an analysis of the Devil’s Gorge project in 2016. No Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) has been conducted to date.

The objective of the assignment is to undertake prefeasibility studies that would investigate and recommend an optimal site, around the stretch between approximately 60 km downstream of the proposed Batoka Gorge site and upstream of the area of influence of Lake Kariba. The initially recommended site shall also be analysed and compared with the other alternatives.

The scope of the consulting services, which are scheduled to begin this September and to be implemented over a period of approximately thirty weeks, shall include: (i) Review of all available previous documentation on the Devil’s Gorge project; (ii) Supplement the study’s review with focused and limited field investigations and tests required to firm up the scope of the proposed works, including limited geotechnical investigations; (iii) Identify possible alternative optimal sites for the location of the dam taking into account the findings of the technical, geotechnical, environmental, social and economic considerations. From the long list of alternative sites, two shall be recommended, analysed in detail and ranked based on a multi criteria to be agreed with the client; (iv) Propose an optimal installed capacity, informed by technical, environment, social and economic considerations: (v) Propose an optimal configuration of the scheme considering the bilateral nature of the project; (vi) Prepare a detailed design report describing the scope of the proposed works, and clearly showing the design criteria adopted, assumptions made and the corresponding calculations. Confidential cost estimates of the works as well as an implementation schedule shall also be prepared and included in the report. The draft Terms of Reference for the consulting services can be inspected on the authority’s website at www.zambezira.org.

Source:  Prefeasibility studies sought for Devil’s Gorge scheme on Zambezi river (22/06/2022)

'No more electricity cuts for Zimbabwe'

THE Government has assured the nation that the country will not be cut off by regional power suppliers after Zesa settled part of the debt it owed South Africa's Eskom and Mozambique's Hydro Cahora Bassa (HCB).

Last month the two regional power producers, especially Eskom threatened to switch off Zimbabwe if Zesa had failed to settle an outstanding power import bill of $43 million by 31 May.

The country which consumes an average 1 400MW daily against a generation capacity of 980MW, imports about 300kW from Eskom while HCB chips in with 50MW.

In an interview on the sidelines of the commissioning of Hwange Power Station (HPS) ash handling plant on Wednesday, Energy and Energy Development Minister Dr Samuel Undenge said there was no need to worry about power shortages as the country has made the right arrangements to ensure that there is enough power.

"The impasse between us and our external suppliers of electricity was resolved, we made a substantial payment over the past weeks and we have agreed on payment terms for the remaining balance, our aim is to clear the debt," said Dr Undenge.

The minister, however, could not be drawn to reveal how much Zesa has paid to avert the situation. Due to foreign currency shortages, Zesa that had presented a payment plan which included paying $89 million between January and April failed to honour the agreement resulting in Eskom's threats to cut supplies. Zesa however, managed to pay $46 million with the payment plan including last year's arrears.

Dr Undenge described the electricity generation in the country as stable saying five units at Hwange Thermal Power Station were running, churning out 560MW with the sixth unit which was undergoing a major overhaul expected to be online in September.

"We are now at five units in service and today (Wednesday) we were producing 560MW which is quite commendable. We expect the resumption of Unit 6 which is going through a major overhaul to be back in service in September then we will further increase power generation.

"Yes, of course we have a deficit due to the fact that at Kariba Power Station the water levels are still low but improving. Last year our generation was limited to 285MW but the Zambezi River Authority increased our allocation of water so we are now producing at an average of 380MW," he said.

HPS has an installed capacity is 920 MW while Kariba Hydro is at 750 MW. Dr Undenge said the Government was prioritising local generation to reduce imports in the long run.

"Nationally we still have a deficit on a daily basis, the average is 1 500 MW but in winter that increases and that is the period we are in right now. We will supplement by importing from Eskom and Cahora Bassa to fill that deficit. We have been importing an average of 50MW from Hydro Cahora Bassa while from Eskom it varies. Our imports increase during the off peak period and we cut down during the peak period that's when we up our generation here."

Source: 'No more electricity cuts for Zimbabwe' (18/6/17)

World's Biggest Dam Has ‘Extremely Dangerous’ Low Water Levels

Water levels at Kariba dam, the world’s largest, are at “extremely dangerous” lows that could force a shutdown of its hydro power plants, said Zambian Energy Minister Dora Siliya.

Poor rainfall and overuse of water by Zambia and Zimbabwe, the southern African countries that share the reservoir, have caused its levels to drop, with electricity generation already reduced by more than half. As of Dec. 28, Kariba was 14 percent full, compared with 51 percent a year earlier, according to the dam’s regulator.

“The situation is dire,” Siliya told reporters Thursday in Lusaka, Zambia’s capital. “I’m praying. We sit here and gaze at the sky and say, ‘please, the levels of Kariba are at extremely dangerous levels.’” A continued absence of rains could force the power plants to shut down altogether, she said.

Mining companies in Africa’s second-biggest copper producer have had to reduce their electricity use and buy expensive imports at a time when plunging metal prices have triggered the mothballing of some mines and more than 10,000 job cuts. Households and businesses endure power cuts as long as 14 hours a day. The cost of importing power and emergency generation could threaten the government’s 3.8 percent budget deficit target for 2016.

‘Most Vulnerable’

Zambia is the most vulnerable country in sub-Saharan Africa to the El Nino weather system, partly because of its dependence on hydro power for more than 95 percent of generation, Bank of America Merrill Lynch analysts including Oyinkansola Anubi said in a November note. Six of Zambia’s 10 provinces have received below-normal rainfall this wet season, Meteorological Department director Jacob Nkomoki said in comments broadcast on Lusaka-based Radio Phoenix Dec. 4.

Water flows in the Zambezi river that feeds Kariba on Dec. 28 were 27 percent lower than a year earlier when measured at the Victoria Falls, about 125 kilometers (78 miles) upstream from the dam, according to data from the Zambezi River Authority. At Chavuma, about 600 kilometers north-west and near the river’s source, flows had started to improve and were 23 percent higher on Dec. 28 than a year earlier.

Water levels at Kariba on the same date were 477.57 meters (1,567 feet) above sea level, barely exceeding the minimum of 475.50 meters for hydro power operations, according to the authority. The government will spend $1.2 billion to mitigate the power crisis, Siliya said.

The Zambian government has prepared for the possibility of halting generation at Kariba, Siliya said. The measures include setting up emergency thermal power plants due to produce 250 megawatts by early March, as well as a 200-megawatt power-ship to be docked off the coast of neighboring Mozambique, she said. A 300-megawatt coal power station is also expected to start operations by June.

The country’s power deficit would grow to 1,000 megawatts by the end of December 2015, about half of normal peak demand, Siliya told lawmakers in November. Kariba may have to shut down by October this year if rainfall is low and Zambia and Zimbabwe continue to overuse its water, she said at the time.

“Our contingency is to make sure that even if we have to shut down there must be power coming,” Siliya said Thursday. “God forbid where we should have a situation where we might say we have to shut them down because the water level is below the minimum recommended.”

Source: World's Biggest Dam Has ‘Extremely Dangerous’ Low Water Levels (08/01/16)