According to a statement from Zambezi River Authority (ZRA), feasibility
studies are almost complete. Once engaged, the developer is expected to
commence works in the last quarter of 2020.
The 2,400MW Batoka Gorge plant has been planned for years by
the two countries, both of which are struggling with electricity shortages
after a drought curbed hydropower output. The project which was mooted in 1992,
experienced delays over colonial era debts and community resistance.
GE and Power China are in a consortium that
was shortlisted in February to build the facility. The project involves
construction of a dam, powerhouses, roads, transmission infrastructure and
houses in both Zambia and Zimbabwe
Batoka Gorge plant will be constructed and all water bodies
situated on the 2 700 kilometre long river at an estimated cost of US $4bn. The
river also feeds the world’s largest man-made water reservoir, the Kariba Dam,
which powers two hydro schemes on either side of the river and operated by the
two neighboring countries.
Each power house of the facility will be installed with six
200MW hydroelectric turbines. The catchment area of the reservoir will be
508,000km², while four intakes will be built to send water to both the power
plants through 4km-long tunnels.
A crest type spillway with 12 radial gates will be
constructed to ensure controlled release of flow from the reservoir. Measuring
13m-tall and 14m-wide, the spillway’s design discharge capacity will be
20,000m³/s.
Construction works is expected to take six years to complete
but electricity generation will start in the third year. The project would be
on a Build-Operate-Transfer financing model and would not put any fiscal strain
on the two governments. As a result, no sovereign guarantees would be needed.
Source: Construction of US $4bn Batoka hydro power project to begin next year (05/07/19)
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