Zambezi River Authority updates Batoka project feasibility studies

 Leonard Ncube, leonard.ncube@chronicle.co.zw

THE Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) has said it is in the process of updating environmental engineering and hydrological studies for the Batoka Gorge Hydro-Power Project (BGHPP) which should be completed next year before a new developer is engaged for the implementation of the project.

Zimbabwe and Zambia are implementing the hydro-power project in the gorges along the Zambezi River where two 1 200MW power plants on either side of the river, a sub-station, transmission as well as a new settlement and road infrastructure will be built.

BGHPP is one of the mega projects in Matabeleland North Province and its completion is expected to enhance electricity availability in the country and region. It will also present a good investment opportunity for the private sector in the value chain.

ZRA, a company jointly established by both countries to manage water projects in the Zambezi River, is working on the project whose initial cost was US$5 billion.

The proposed project is set to transform Matabeleland North and Zambian communities on the other side of the river, with facilities such as banks, shops, private offices and other ancillary infrastructure set to be constructed.

In 2018, Zimbabwe and Zambia agreed to build the hydroelectric scheme, and the project was expected to provide about a third of Zimbabwe and Zambia’s power requirements.

Located about 50km downstream from Victoria Falls City, the massive project has been touted as a flagship project in the southern African region. A consortium of Power Construction Corporation of China and US firm General Electric had won a bid to build the 2 400MW hydropower station under a build, operate and transfer funding model before disengagement this year.

Although the idea to build a dam at the Batoka Gorge was mooted in the 1990s, it has been in limbo for decades until it was revived following the advent of the Second Republic.

However, because of challenges associated with funding and other issues, the implementation took long until studies were overtaken by time.

Updating renewable energy experts at the Zimbabwe-Zambia Energy Projects Summit 2024, ZRA director for projects and dam management services, Engineer Sithembinkosi Mhlanga said the authority is updating the feasibility studies.

The project status was topical in the discussions as energy experts said delays in its implementation were a cause for concern.

Eng Mhlanga said engineering feasibility studies were completed in 2019 while the Environmental Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) was done in 2022 which could have paved the way for implementation.

“The project is at a position where we are updating studies. We are at a time when this project needs to have studies updated so that they are relevant for the actual implementation.

For updates of studies, we are looking at a few activities particularly engineering feasibility, which is updating the assessment of hydrological data because 2 400MW was considered as design capacity for a certain scenario of operation,” he said.

The budget for Batoka had been put during the earlier studies at a range of between US$4 billion and US$5 billion.

“It’s expected that when we undertake these studies there will be a reviewed assessment of the cost which again will get refined by the developer in terms of development cost. So we remain with the figure of US$5 billion but to be fine-tuned through studies and developers submissions,” said Eng Mhlanga.

He said they are looking forward to finishing their studies in 2025 and then starting the process of procuring a developer.

“This process should end in 2026 in terms of pre-qualification and shortlisting leading to bidding and financial close probably in 2027,” said Eng Mhlanga.

He said, among other challenges, delays were caused by the time it took to disengage with the previous developer.

“The period of implementation will take between four and five years, but these are some of the details that will be finalised once a new developer is engaged. The project intends not to displace people but instead will generate direct employment for over 4 000 people and 6 000 in the two countries,” said Eng Mhlanga.

He said there is also a need to undertake studies on the impact of the Batoka Gorge on Victoria Falls’ outstanding universal value and sustainability, to conserve the total value of the World Heritage Site.

“We parted with the previous developer and we then got into these activities now we are entering into partnerships with specific key partners like the African Development Bank and African Legal Support Facility. We are looking at completing our studies in 2025 and then proceeding,” he said.

The coming in of Batoka City will be a big boost for the broader Matabeleland North development, which has in the recent past become an economic epicentre following the designation of Victoria Falls as a special economic zone (SEZ) and the elevation of the tourism town to a city. — @ncubeleon

Source: Zambezi River Authority updates Batoka project feasibility studies (21/11/24)

UNESCO denies Zim Minister's Claim of Approval for Batoka Gorge Hydro Electric Scheme

UNESCO have denied reports in the Zimbabwe national press that it has given approval to the controversial Batoka Gorge Hydro Electric Scheme (BGHES).

Zimbabwean Energy and Power Development Minister, Edgar Moyo, claimed in news reports published last week that the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) gave approval to the Batoka Gorge Hydro Electric Scheme at its recent 45th Session. 

“From our Zimbabwean and Zambian side, we were together saying there would be no environmental impact to the extent that the heritage status of the area around the gorge would be affected. What then emerged was that we are now in agreement with UNESCO and all other stakeholders along the Zambezi that the project has to go ahead.” (Sunday Mail, 15th October 2023)

His comments were quickly supported by the Chief Executive officer of the Zambezi River Authority, Munyaradzi Munodawafa, who stated that UNESCO had “looked at the reports and our presentations and agreed that Batoka could go ahead... Now we are good to go. We are on solid ground and by the end of next month, I will have an actual date of commencement.” (The Herald, 19th October 2023)

UNESCO, however, were quick to dismiss the reports.

"UNESCO’s response to these claims emphasized serious concerns about the Batoka Gorge project, particularly the unavoidable adverse effects it could have on the designated World Heritage Site... The committee not only recommended a re-evaluation of the environmental and social impact assessment of the planned dam but also called for a reduction in the height of the proposed dam wall. Moreover, it expressed disapproval regarding the construction of a new hotel within the site, which was carried out despite UNESCO’s request for the suspension of such activities. A revised study on the planned dam’s impact must be submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review by the International Union for Conservation of Nature before any further decisions can be made." (BNN, 19th October 2023)

The clarification from UNESCO has yet to be reported in the Zimbabwe press which originally published the claims of approval for the scheme.

The false claims of approval follow the recent 45th Session of the World Heritage Committee, where South Africa proposed amendments to the Committee's draft decision text regarding the Victoria Falls World Heritage Site, effectively diluting the Committee's response to the proposed BGHES and undermining the recommendations from the recent Reactive Monitoring Mission to the site, conducted in early 2022. Both South Africa and Zambia are currently members of the Committee (although their terms expire in November this year).

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

Read more on the Batoka Gorge Hydro Electric Scheme on the Keep Victoria Falls Wild website.

Links

Sunday Mail, Batoka power project hurdles cleared, 15th October. [External link, opens in new window.]

The Herald, UN agency clears US$5bn Batoka Gorge power project, 19th October. [External link, opens in new window.]

BNN, UNESCO Denies Clearance for $5 Billion Zambezi Dam Project Near Victoria Falls, 19th October. [External link, opens in new window.]

UN agency clears US$5bn Batoka Gorge power project

An agency of the United Nations has cleared Zambia and Zimbabwe to build a $5 billion hydropower dam downstream from Victoria Falls, a Unesco World Heritage Site, the authority overseeing its construction said.

The 2 400 megawatt Batoka Gorge project, 47 kilometres from the world’s largest waterfall, has been opposed by environmentalists because of the potential impact it would have on the cataract, a key tourist site for both countries, that spans the Zambezi River.

Unesco “sent inspectors in 2022 after complaints by some environmentalists that the Batoka project was going to affect the Victoria Falls,” Munyaradzi Munodawafa, chief executive officer of the Zambezi River Authority, said in an interview.

They “looked at the reports and our presentations and agreed that Batoka could go ahead” at a meeting of the World Heritage Committee last month, he said.

Construction of the 181-metre (594-foot) high wall and power plants by a group led by General Electric Co, and China’s Power Construction had been expected to start in 2020 but was delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic and funding concerns. Both Zambia and Zimbabwe, who already share the Kariba hydropower facility further east on the Zambezi, at times have struggled to meet their power needs.

“Now we are good to go” said Munodawafa. “We are on solid ground and by end of next month, I will have an actual date of commencement.” Unesco didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

The African Development Bank is the lead arranger for the financing of Batoka, which has been designed as a run-of-river project, meaning that there will be little storage of water behind the turbines, minimising the impact on the Victoria Falls.

Munodawafa also said the US$130 million rehabilitation of a plunge pool below the wall of the Kariba dam, which holds back the world’s biggest artificial reservoir, is expected to be completed by early 2025.

Further downstream, in Mozambique, the AfDB is also advising on the US$4,5 billion, 1 500-megawatt Mphanda Nkuwa hydropower project. – Bloomberg

Source:  UN agency clears US$5bn Batoka Gorge power project (18/10/23)

Batoka power project hurdles cleared

 ZIMBABWE and Zambia are proceeding with development of the 2 400-megawatt (MW) Batoka Gorge Hydro-Electric Scheme (BGHES), after earlier concerns the project would threaten the world heritage status of the area were resolved.

The US$4,5 billion power project is being jointly facilitated by the two countries and the electricity generated would be shared equally.

In an interview on Friday, Energy and Power Development Minister Edgar Moyo said the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) and various stakeholders along the Zambezi River had raised issues that implementation of the hydro-electric power project would destroy the heritage status of the area around the gorge.

He said various feasibility studies for the BGHES, including an environmental and social impact assessment (ESIA), were carried out and it has since been agreed that the envisaged power project can take precedence.

The ESIA — which included a livelihood study of affected communities, a household census, a socio-economic survey and asset inventory to restore and potentially improve the livelihoods of the economically displaced — was undertaken by a South African firm.

“Feasibility studies for the project were done and the Government was happy with the proposed investment.

“However, new issues emerged, the issues had to do with the status of that area as a UNESCO heritage site so there were discussions that were there, where my predecessors were involved regarding the heritage site status that was being threatened by that project.

“But from our Zimbabwean and Zambian side, we were together saying there would be no environmental impact to the extent that the heritage status of the area around the gorge would be affected.

“What then emerged was that we are now in agreement with UNESCO and all other stakeholders along the Zambezi that the project has to go ahead,” said Minister Moyo.

He said because the BGHES was a bilateral project, competitive bidding to secure project contractors and financiers, has not been decided.

“At the moment, the competitive bidding for the Batoka project has not been decided. I think there are a number of processes that should go because remember it’s going to be a bilateral project, so a number of processes have to be undertaken until, at least, a timetable then comes through,” said Minister Moyo.

It has been reported that the African Development Bank has been identified as the adviser and lead arranger of funding for the BGHES, to be located downstream from Victoria Falls on the Zambezi River, which straddles Zimbabwe and Zambia.

The Batoka Gorge sits on the Zambezi River, which supplies water to the Kariba Hydropower Plant, which the two neighbouring countries jointly own, producing 1 050MW on the Zimbabwean side and 1 080MW for Zambia.

“That project is a very big project, which I think should solve most of our power issues.

“If that project is implemented, it’s going to see us generating a lot of power, which will serve as a complement to Kariba. It’s going to solve our power issues in the country.”

The two countries and the rest of the Southern African Development Community are presently facing power shortages that have seen some of the countries experiencing long hours without electricity.

Locally, the situation, caused by frequent breakdowns at the country’s largest thermal power station, has been compounded by low water levels in Kariba Dam, which provides the bulk of the two countries’ electricity supplies.

Successful synchronisation of the US$1,5 billion Hwange Thermal Power Station Units 7 and 8 expansion project this year has now seen the facility feed 600MW into the national grid.

As a result, Zimbabwe — whose peak demand is 2 200MW — has increased power generation to an average of 1 500MW from 700MW.

Due to low water levels in Kariba, the Zambezi River Authority, which manages water resources in the river on behalf of the two countries, has had to ration the amount of water used to generate electricity by the hydropower station.

The BGHES is projected to generate annual revenues of over US$750 million for Zimbabwe and Zambia upon completion.

The scheme will also result in the development of a township to be located on both the north bank of the dam (in Zambia) and on the south bank (in Zimbabwe).

It is hoped the mega project — which would also generate direct employment for over 4 000 people, and another 6 000 indirectly — is a flagship project in the southern African region being spearheaded by the Second Republic under President Mnangagwa.

Source: Batoka power project hurdles cleared (15/10/23)

Zambia looks to cancel $5 billion Batoka Gorge HES project

- Zambia cancels a building contract for a 2,400-megawatt power station on the Zambezi River due to high costs and failure to follow proper procurement procedures. 

- Zambia’s energy minister suggests exploring a hybrid solution combining solar and hydropower, indicating a potential reduction in capacity to around 1,000 megawatts. 

- General Electric and PowerChina remain silent as Zambia seeks to re-advertise the project and address setbacks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and financing challenges.

Zambia has disclosed that it will cancel a building contract given to General Electric Co. and Power Building Corp. of China because the project to build a 2,400-megawatt power station on the Zambezi River is too expensive.

In remarks aired late Tuesday on the state-run Zambia National Broadcasting Corp., and reported by the American news agency, Bloomberg, Zambia's energy minister, Peter Kapala, noted that proper procurement procedures weren't followed when the purchase was made. The dam's development is overseen by the state-run Zambezi River Authority, which predicted last year that the project would cost $5 billion.

“We are disengaging from that contract and we hope to re-advertise it and revisit everything that was agreed to before. Mainly, it was because of the cost, it was just too much,” said Kapala.

“The latest information is that the hydrology of Zambezi might not favor the establishment of a 2,400-megawatt hydro-plant,” the energy minister said.

“We could reach that if maybe we do a hybrid of solar and hydro itself, but the indications are that we could be looking at far much less than the 2,400, it could be maybe even 1,000 megawatts,” he added.

General Electric declined to respond right away. An email sent outside of regular business hours seeking comment did not immediately receive a response from PowerChina.

The 2,400-megawatt Batoka Gorge project was supposed to get going in 2020, however, there were a number of setbacks, including the coronavirus epidemic and problems obtaining finance.

General Electric and Power China were chosen to construct the facility jointly by Zambia and Zimbabwe. Both countries in southern Africa are experiencing an electrical shortfall as a result of poorly maintained plants and drought-related production reductions at existing hydroelectric facilities on the Zambezi River.

The secretary for energy and power development in Zimbabwe, Gloria Magombo, stated on Wednesday that she was not aware of the statements made by the minister of Zambia and that the ministry will reply later.

Source: Zambia cancels $5 billion project with China (16/06/23)

Zimbabwe: Govt Identifies Land for New Batoka City

By Leonard Ncube

Victoria Falls Reporter

THE GOVERNMENT has identified land where a new city will be built as part of the Batoka Gorge Hydro-Electric project outside Victoria Falls, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Energy and Power Development Engineer Gloria Magombo has said.

The coming in of Batoka City will be a major milestone and fits well with the broader Matabeleland North development, which has in the recent past become an economic epicenter in the country following designation of Victoria Falls as a Special Economic Zone, and eventual conferment of city status to the municipality.

Zimbabwe and Zambia are implementing the US$4 billion hydropower project in the gorges along Zambezi River where two 1 200MW power plants on either side of the river, a substation, transmission as well as a new settlement and road infrastructure, will be built.

Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) jointly owned by the two governments is the implementing agent and in 2019 chose General Electric and Power Corporation of China to build the power plant, about 50km downstream from Victoria Falls City.

A steering council of ministers comprising Ministries of Finance and Energy from both countries was set up to spearhead the project, which was first planned in 1992 but was delayed by an impasse over colonial era debts and community resistance.

Work had been scheduled to start in 2020 but was delayed because of the adverse effects of coronavirus.

However, public consultations on the environmental disclosure have been completed and inputs submitted to the relevant authority and work is underway to start pre-construction work for the new Batoka City, a key component of the Government's drive to steer development in Matabeleland North, particularly the Victoria Falls-Hwange-Binga corridor.

Communities around the Batoka project finally agreed to the project after extensive consultation by ZRA and both governments. About 4 000 direct plus 6 000 indirect jobs are set to be created.

Eng Magombo said the land has been secured and authorities from Hwange Rural District Council, Zimbabwe Power Company and Ministry of Local Government and Public Works are on the ground making preparatory work.

She, however, could not reveal the exact location of the land and its size.

"There is a lot of work that is being done in terms of the environmental disclosure after the finalization of the Environmental Impact Assessment," she said. "Consultations were done during the Covid-19 lockdown period and all the input from various stakeholders has been received.

"But there is also the issue of land for the project as you are aware last year Zimbabwe did approve the cession of the land but the land is now available.

"ZPC together with Hwange RDC and Local Government Ministry are looking at coming up with a plan in terms of how the whole city will then be planned and there is a lot of work, which is already going on into that part of the programme," said Eng Magombo.

She said over and above other developments, there has been appointment of various advisers with the African Legal Support providing some of the advice on evaluation of documents, which have been submitted by the contractor.

The two governments have also appointed a technical advisor in an effort to ensure that there are no grey areas.

"There is a lot of work going on in terms of finalizing preparation and structuring of the project, which is being done between ZRA as the main coordinator and implementing agent of both governments and steering committee comprising both ministries of energy and finance and we believe that in the next quarter we will be announcing when the ground-breaking and other milestones will be achieved," she said.

Batoka Dam wall will be 175m high after it was reduced as a result of concerns by tour operators particularly rafting companies in Victoria Falls that water backflow would hurt their operations.

The power plant is expected to take about five years to complete but electricity generation should start in the third year.

The Second Republic is focused on driving robust economic transformation of the province through unlocking its vast investment potential so that it contributes more to the mainstream economy.

Several projects, which had been in limbo have been reactivated and in various stages of completion. Among these are the giant Gwayi-Shangani Dam, Bulawayo Kraal Irrigation Scheme, Hwange Power Station' units 7 and 8 expansion, Lupane Provincial Hospital and Elitsheni Government Complex.

The Second Republic has also moved swiftly to operationalize the Victoria Falls SEZ and established the Victoria Falls Stock Exchange, capping the city as a financial and tourism hub of Zimbabwe.

The establishment of Batoka City, together with the planned Masue City near Victoria Falls will buttress the combined development of Matabeleland North as a key component for transforming Zimbabwe into an upper middle-income economy by 2030.

Read the original article on The Herald. (07/05/21)

 

Vic Falls Rafting Saved Following New Dam Construction Recommendations

 The industry has been engaging ZRA authorities over the issue saying once the dam is built and the gorge inundated with water, Zambezi’s renowned white water rafting activities will be curtailed as rafting is impossible in high water.

There are about 10 rafting companies both in Zambia and Zimbabwe and all employ more than 300 people.

Closure of rafting will also likely affect tourism as the activity is one of the major revenue earners for the industry.

Rise in water levels will force rapids to disappear and make rafting impossible.

However, the rafting sector also fears the project will reduce their activities to only three months from nine months annually.

Rafting is usually suspended during the rainy season.

Environmentalists also fear flooding the Batoka Gorge will destroy bird habitat and displace the endangered Taita Falcon bird.

The Batoka Gorge currently has the largest population of the Falcon specie in the world.

According to the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) report and the Associated Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMP) released by ZRA as part of the ongoing statutory disclosure process, rafting as well as the endangered Talita Falcon bird could be spared.

“Among the mitigation measures is decision to limit the height of the dam to 175 metres instead of building it to the top of the gorge so as to prevent the water backflow from reaching and impacting areas of special interest such as the Victoria Falls, existing Zesco Limited Power Station, the Victoria Falls and Mosi-oa-Tunya national parks,” ZRA said in a statement.

“The other measures highlighted included the adopted reservoir rules that were developed with a view to ensure the balancing of power generation while allowing for the continuation of other river-based activities and environmental flows (e-flows). These include activities such as white water rafting and e-flows that would support the continued existence of downstream ecosystems.”

The disclosure process is a statutory requirement in the two countries administered by their respective environmental regulatory agencies namely Zambia Environmental Management Agency (ZEMA) and the Environmental Management Agency (EMA) of Zimbabwe.

VICTORIA FALLS: White water rafting activities that were likely to be suspended due to the construction of the Batoka Gorge Dam here received a lifeline following recommendations to confine the new dam wall to only 175 metres.

The Zambezi River Authority (ZRA), a bi-national organisation equally owned by Zimbabwe and Zambia governments is spearheading construction of the 2 400MW Batoka Hydro Gorge Electric Scheme (BGHES) located 47km downstream from the spectacular Victoria Falls.

Currently ZRA is finalising preparatory activities for the implementation of the project.

There have been concerns by the companies engaged in white water rafting under the Rafting Association of Zimbabwe (RAZ) who feared the project would drive them out of business.

The ESIA report disclosure and stakeholder engagement process will continue up to 25 January 2021 for receiving concerns and comments regarding the planned implementation of the project.

Comments gathered during the disclosure period will be included in the final ESIA report while project implementation is expected to start in 2022 and completed in 2027.

The Zambezi River forms part of the border between the two countries and two 1 200MW power plants on either side of the river as well as a substation, transmission, township and road infrastructure could begin to produce electricity in 2028.

A consortium comprising the Power Construction Corporation of China and General Electric of the US has been selected as the contractor to develop the project estimated close to US$5 billion.

Source: Vic Falls Water Rafting Saved Following New Dam Construction Recommendations (30/12/21)

Environmental and Social Impact Assessment for the Proposed Batoka Gorge Hydro-Electric Scheme

 ERM Ref: 0239269         EMA Ref: 17/1/1/3A        ZEMA Ref: ZEMA/DEPT/101/1/3

Dear Stakeholder

RE: Environmental and Social Impact Assessment for the Proposed Batoka Gorge Hydro-Electric Scheme (Zambia and Zimbabwe) on the Zambezi River: Invitation to Webinar

Environmental Resources Management Southern Africa (Pty) Ltd. (ERM) has been contracted by the Zambezi River Authority (the Authority) to undertake the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) study for the development of the Batoka Gorge Hydro-Electric Scheme (BGHES) on the Zambezi River, 47km downstream of Victoria Falls.

On 03 March 2020, ERM notified stakeholders of the availability of the draft ESIAs for public review and comment, and invited stakeholders to attend ESIA disclosure meetings in Zambia and Zimbabwe, which were proposed to take place during April 2020.  In light of the COVID-19 (Corona Virus Disease 2019) pandemic, the Authority and ERM made the decision to postpone all public disclosure meetings. This decision was in response to government-mandated travel restrictions and bans on gatherings of more than 100 people, which were imposed within certain southern African countries.

Given the ongoing level of global uncertainty associated with COVID-19, the Authority and ERM would like to disclose the ESIA findings using alternative methods currently available. 

You are invited to attend a ZOOM webinar where the key findings of the ESIA process will be shared with you. The meeting will include a presentation, following which participants will have the opportunity to interact with the project team, ask questions and provide comment. 

Meeting Time:

2 December 2020 at 09:30 AM

To register for the meeting, click on the link below, complete the registration and you will received a personal invitation to the webinar directly from ZOOM. 

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_42Y_qB-5QaWX8zpZOkVMKQ

Availability of the Project ESIAs for Review & Comment

As a reminder, the draft ESIAs for the BGHES are available for public comment. Refer to Project website https://www.erm.com/bghes-esia to access the ESIAs and non-technical summaries. 

Three separate draft ESIAs have been prepared for the Project as follows:

§  ESIA for the dam wall and impoundment, including spillway; surface power houses; the Project townships (in both Zambia and Zimbabwe); and other ancillary infrastructure (such as quarries, spoil areas, batching areas);

§  ESIA for Project access roads in both Zambia and Zimbabwe; and

§  ESIA for Project Transmission Lines in both Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The comment period, which has remained open since 03 March 2020 will be closing 25 January 2021.  Stakeholders are invited to submit all comments on the draft ESIAs to ERM as follows:

Email: batokagorgehes@erm.com | Post: Postnet Suite 90, Private Bag X12, Tokai, 7966

Tel: +27 21 681 5400 (South Africa)

+27 11 798 4300 (South Africa)  

+263 77 287 6616 (Zimbabwe)

+260 97 4074384 (Zambia)                         

Your comments will be incorporated into the Project ESIA comments and responses report, which will be included in the final ESIAs submitted to Zimbabwean and the Zambian Environmental Management Agencies (EMA and ZEMA) for consideration. Please ensure that your comments reach ERM on or before 25 January 2021.

For any further queries regarding the content of this letter, please feel free to contact us with the details included above. 

We look forward to your participation in this phase of the ESIA.

Yours sincerely                                                                       

The ERM Team

Environmental Resources Management (ERM)

batokagorgehes@erm.com  

www.erm.com

 

Hwange villagers fume after Govt evicts them to make way for new township

 HWANGE villagers have reacted angrily at Government`s decision to evict them from their communal area to make way for the establishment of Batoka Township.

The announcement was made through Statutory Instrument 188 of 2020 which was gazetted on Monday.

The development is reportedly going to affect over 100 homesteads in Jembwe, Jabula, Kasikili and Kanywambizi communal lands.

People occupying land in the area intended for the development have been ordered to vacate by the end of this year.

“The Minister of Local Government and Public Works, in terms of section 10 of the Communal Land Act [chapter 20:04], hereby makes the following notice: This notice may be cited as the Communal Land (Setting Aside of Land) (Batoka Township) Notice, 2020. The area of land specified in the Schedule shall be set aside with effect from 1st of January 2021, for purposes of establishing a township. Any person using or occupying the land specified in the Schedule, otherwise than by virtue of a right held in terms of the Mines and Minerals Act [Chapter 21:05], is ordered to depart permanently, with all his or her property, from the said land by 31st of December 2020, unless he or she acquires rights of use or occupation to the said land in terms of section 9 (1) of the Communal Land Act,” read part of the SI.

Villagers who spoke to CITE said they were shocked to learn of the development and there was no mention of compensation.

They accused authorities of making decisions without consulting them arguing that the development though it was economically beneficial would be prejudicial to their livelihoods

“We are still in shock over what we are hearing that they intend to evict us from our ancestral land our crime being that we are in the way of the so-called development. How can one wake up and decide to remove people without considering the impact on their livelihoods. We hear they won’t be compensation for those that are going to be affected. The government should ensure that it puts in place measures that protect its people as compared to placing money ahead, ” said David Ncube from Jebwe. 

Kachechete ward Councilor, Givemoreagain Moyo under which Jebwe village falls said he was yet to go through the SI.

“It’s news to me I haven’t gone through the document but from the reactions of the affected people they are shocked at the notice. With the advent of social media, word travels fast and the reactions so far show people are devastated by the news. Communities need to be informed, they need to be consulted surely you can’t wake up and evict people. Council has a role to inform stakeholders. At the moment I don’t know who or how many are going to be affected by the displacement,” said Clr Moyo.

Cllr Sino Moyo of Jambezi ward whose area is also affected by the move said it was not yet clear where the Kanywambizi villagers would be relocated to as only one meeting with the community was held.

“It’s not yet clear as to where the affected will be moved to since there was only one meeting in fact people have not been addressed and unaware of the modalities associated with relocation and compensation. Last year people were told of the development of the project but not much was said about the impending displacement or compensation. Villagers are not happy with the development some developed infrastructure and being told to just leave is unfair. Most of these people are old and cannot afford to build afresh especially given the state of our economy, ” he said.

Centre for Natural Resources Governance (CNRG) criticised the move describing it as a violation of the rights of Batoka territory people. 

“We believe that indigenous people have rights over their ancestral lands and it is a violation of their rights to allow the interests of capitalists to displace them. These people have preserved this land since time immemorial and they should benefit from development projects which have been attracted by their ancestral land,” CNRG Communications Officer, Simiso Mlevu. 

“As CNRG we are against Forced Relocations and displacements. History has shown that our government does not value property rights because people who were moved from Marange to Arda Transau have not been compensated to date. They do not even have land for subsistence farming.  We fear that the people of Hwange will face the same predicament of being forced to move without proper property and livelihoods valuations that should lead to adequate compensation.”

She argued that the Communal Lands Act was unconstitutional as it rendered rural communities stateless.

“The Communal Lands Act is grossly unconstitutional. Communal land is vested in the President and Local Government minister can from time to time designate new use for that land. Because of the Communal Lands Act, rural communities are stateless citizens. They have no rights to where they live. We ask, how different is this administration from colonial authorities when it comes to protecting the right of citizens?”

Efforts to get a comment from Chief Shana were fruitless, however, Hwange Rural District Council chief executive officer, Phindile Ncube said there was nothing amiss with the development.

“In any event, there is nothing new in the creation of urban land in a Communal area the issue of compensation is neither here nor there. I can assure you that the affected communities have been consulted. Yes the SI does not speak of compensation but the Environmental Impact Assessment will likely speak into the issue of compensation. Projects of national development tend to have certain impacts such as displacement. We see this with what happened during the establishment of the Tokwe-Mukosi dam we are also going to have a hydro dam here at the Zambezi gorges. “

The local authority intends to establish satellite towns in Ndlovu, Cross Mabale, 5 Miles, Monde, Cross Dete and the Batoka township.

The establishment of the Batoka township will be anchored on the construction and operation of a dam to power a 2400 MW hydropower plant that will be shared between Zimbabwe and Zambia.

 Source: Hwange villagers fume after Govt evicts them to make way for new township (18/08/20)

 

 

Construction of US $4bn Batoka hydro power project to begin next year

Zambia and Zimbabwe have announced that construction works of Batoka Gorge hydro power plant which they co-share will commence next year.

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)

GE and Power China to build Batoka Gorge Dam

The American company General Electric (GE) and the Chinese company Power China have been selected to implement the Batoka Gorge hydroelectric project. It will provide 2,400 MW to Zimbabwe and Zambia.

The Batoka Gorge hydroelectric project is taking a new step forward. On the sidelines of a trip to Maputo, Mozambique, Zimbabwean President Emmerson Dambudzo Mnangagwa announced that he had reached an agreement with Zambia to award the hydroelectric project to the American company General Electric (GE) and the Chinese company Power China. On the other hand, the Italian company Salini Impregilo, which was part of the same consortium, was not mentioned.

Initially, Zambezi River Authority (ZRA), an organisation owned by Zambia and Zimbabwe for the development of the Zambezi River and responsible for the implementation of the Batoka Gorge hydroelectric project, preselected two consortia and one company. The consortium that was reselected was composed of Three Gorges Corporation and China International and Water Electric Corporation. China Gezhouba Group Company (CGGC), which was competing solo, also failed to win.

A $4.5 billion project

The Batoka Gorge hydroelectric project is expected to inject 2,400 MW into the power grids of Zimbabwe and Zambia. The project is implemented according to the Build-Operate-Transfer financial model (BOT). A kind of public-private partnership (PPP).

GE and Power China are responsible for building a dam with a 181 m high wall that will hold 1,680 million m3 of water over an area of approximately 26 km2. The reservoir will be long and narrow, extending approximately 1 km along the Victoria Falls basin. The water from the reservoir will run the turbines of two hydroelectric power plants located on both sides of the Zambezi River. They will thus have a combined capacity of 2,400 MW.

The ZRA estimates that the entire project will require an investment of $4.5 million. The financing will therefore be provided by GE and China Power. The World Bank and the African Development Bank (AfDB) have expressed their readiness to support the Batoka Gorge hydroelectric project.

The latter also provokes protests from local populations, who live mainly from tourism, especially Westerners who come to visit Victoria Falls. This site, classified as a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage Site, could be affected by the construction of the dam, in particular by reducing the flow of the river, but also because the river could approach the 650 m falls.

In any case, on site, the project is progressing with technical feasibility studies that will be completed by September 2019. It will take ten to thirteen years to complete the construction of the Batoka Gorge hydroelectric dam.

Source:  GE and Power China to build Batoka Gorge Dam (25/06/19)

Chinese, US firms in joint bid for Batoka

Global electrical engineering giants, China Power and General Electric (GE) of the United States have launched a joint bid for a contract to construct the 2, 400 megawatt Batoka Gorge hydropower project being co-developed by Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe’s Energy and Power Development Minister Simon Khaya Moyo, while officiating at a Zesa annual risk management awards ceremony on Friday, said the two electrical engineering giants paid him a visit at his offices on Friday and expressed strong interest in the project.

The Energy Minister said that while Zimbabwe had successfully commissioned the Kariba South Extension project, in March this year, which added 300MW to national electricity grid, the country was remained shot of adequate power, adding Harare’s goal was to be energy self-sufficient as well as be a net exporter of power.

As such, Minister Moyo said that he would engage his Zambian counterparts to discuss ways in which the implementation of the Batoka power project, which the two countries urgently need to resolve power deficits in their countries, could be expedited.

The Batoka Gorge sits on the Zambezi River, whose administration the riparian states share.

It also supplies water to the jointly owned Kariba Dam, which the two countries use for power generation, 1050MW for Zimbabwe and for 1080MW for Zambia.

“This morning (Friday), I received representatives from China Power and General Electric (GE) from the US. They have shown great enthusiasm to move into Batoka (hydropower project),” he said.

“I do know my colleagues would want to accept this development. I will consult and we will meet, as members of the Zambezi River Authority to discuss how we can speed up the programme.”

The $3 billion Batoka power station will be situated about 60 kilometres downstream of the Victoria Falls on the Zambezi River and is expected to improve the two countries’ power supply, currently in deficit and also feed into the Southern African Power Pool.

Zimbabwe and Zambia’s demand for energy are forecast to more than double by 2035.

Source: Chinese, US firms in joint bid for Batoka (15/05/18)

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AfDB provides support for Batoka Hydroelectric project

The African Development Bank (AfDB) is advising on how funds can be secured for the construction of the 2,400MW Batoka Gorge Hydroelectric Power Project to commence.

Public relations and communications manager at the Zambezi River Authority (ZRA), Elizabeth Karonga, stated that the bank is advising the authority on raising funds for the project and it is likely that it will reach financial closure by the end of the year.

According to the Southern Times, Karonga said the engineering and legal assessments for the power plant were successfully carried out in 2016.

“The legal and financial advisory studies were completed end of July 2016. This also applies to the environmental and social impact assessment studies as well as the legal and financial advisory studies,” Karonga said.

Karonga said studies have shown that 6,000 jobs will be created once the construction of the Batoka Hydroelectric Project between Zambia and Zimbabwe commences.

The project is estimated to cost $4 billion. 

Media noted that the project has faced resistance from local communities, who felt that it had the potential of negatively impacting the Victoria Falls.

However, the chief executive officer of the ZRA, Munyaradzi Munodawafa, said feasibility studies undertaken on the site have allayed environmental fears to the Victoria Falls, which is upstream.

“The reservoir will be fully contained in the gorge, no resettlement is required for the dam, but may be required for the transmission aspects of the project,” said Munodawafa.

Source: AfDB provides support for Batoka Hydroelectric project (17/04/18)

Batoka Gorge Hydro to hire experts to save falcon bird

BATOKA Gorge Hydro-Electric Scheme (BGHES) has resolved to hire ornithologists to help conserve the Taita Falcon birds from extinction along the Zambezi River basin.

This was revealed last week by BGHES engineer, Christopher Chinsense, indicating that scientific environmental evidence has been carried out and proved that the avifauna birds existed, but was fast disappearing due to human activity in the Zambezi River.

He said the general decline in the population of Taita Falcon since 1995 has been attributed to flooding of reservoirs.

“Batoka Gorge area is listed under Important Bird Area (IBA) of the continental significance by Childes and Mundy 2001 based on the on the presence of breeding Taita Falcons (Falco fasciinucha), a threatened and range restricted species.

“And that being the case, we will have minor challenges, but mitigatory measures are being put in place. The Taita Falcon has been enlisted and the most delicate species and fast disappearing in the world and we have been strongly cautioned against being contributors of it disappearing,” he said.

“We have put up measures to implement the Taita Falcon monitoring programme and ornithologist specialists will be fully involved in experimental creation of artificial nestling facilities for these few birds on the dam wall and in the cliffs in suitable areas that do not jeopardise natural nestling habitat.”

The project’s chief executive, Munyaradzi Munodawafa said approximately two million jobs will be created during the seven-year construction period and priority will be given to locals sin the Zambezi River environs.

He added that international, regional and local contractors had since sent their application forms and vetting process was underway.

BGHES was proposed back 1992 by Zimbabwe and Zambia with a memorandum of agreement signed in 2012 to pave way for its development which is likely to begin next year at an estimated cost of $3 602 858.

Source: Batoka Gorge Hydro to hire experts to save falcon bird (17/04/18)