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)

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)

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) 

'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)

Engineers Insist Corrupt Zesco Upgrades Are Causing Water Shortages and Power Cuts

More information has surfaced regarding the actual causes of ZESCO power cuts due to what PF has claimed low water levels at Kariba Dam because there was not enough rainfall last season.

As earlier reported by the Zambianwatchdog, there was enough rainfall along the Zambezi River basin stretching from Northwestern province, Copperbelt, all the way along the Zambezi River to Kariba Dam, which is a water reservoir.

The problem was the corrupt manner in which the Chinese Company, Sino-Hydro did the upgrades at Kariba North-Bank Power station.

Highly placed sources within the PF regime have insisted that the Kariba North Bank Chinese made Turbines which were upgraded have a lower power output compared to the older British made machines which were replaced according to the dam's specifications.

There is indeed some truth now that the dam is fast running out of water because the flow of water was increased in order to cover the shortfalls in output to run the new fake Chinese turbines.

"This has angered Zambezi River Authority partners on the Zimbabwean side to remind us that the volumes of water dispensed had increased over the last year due to our turbines running more outflow than originally designed prior to this upgrade," sources have revealed.

Highly placed insiders revealed classified information to the effect that Lake Kariba Dam was created and designed to operate between levels 475.50 meters and 488.50 meters with a 0.70 meters freeboard at all times.

But due to the increased water outflows being demanded by the Chinese electricity turbines, the water levels dropped by 14 centimeters during the week from 13th July to 19th July 2015 alone to close at 4.99 meters lower than the level recorded last year on the same week yet all the spillway gates at Kariba remained closed during the week under review.

The question Zambians must be asking is why the PF resorted to acquiring such substandard equipment from the Eurobond money against what was prescribed?

Source: Engineers Insist Corrupt Zesco Upgrades Are Causing Water Shortages and Power Cuts (31/07/15)
UPDATE: Zambia's Kariba dam—world’s largest made by man— drying up: 10 brain-twisting facts about Africa’s energy use (21/08/15)
MORE: Zambia's power woes: All roads lead to Kariba Dam (02/09/15)

Zambia Power Cuts Rise as Copper Producer’s Dam Levels Fall

Zambia will probably cut power generation by more than a quarter as poor rainfall causes dam levels to drop in Africa’s second-biggest copper producer, Mines, Energy and Water Development Deputy Minister Charles Zulu said.

The country may reduce power supply by as much as 600 megawatts from about 2,200 megawatts, he said Tuesday by phone. While mining companies will be affected the state-owned power utility, Zesco Ltd., hasn’t decided by how much they will need to decrease their usage, Zulu said.

“According to Zesco, all customers have to contribute to this,” he said.

Zambia relies on hydropower for more than 90 percent of its electricity and water levels have declined at the Lake Kariba and Kafue Gorge plants, the source of three-quarters of that supply. Reservoir levels fell to about half capacity at the Kariba dam by April 26, according to the Zambezi River Authority’s website. Glencore Plc and First Quantum Minerals Ltd. are among mine operators that use more than half the southern African nation’s power.

The country has already cut electricity supplies by 300 megawatts and will probably double this gradually over 2015, Zulu said. Peak demand is 1,900 megawatts to 2,000 megawatts, he said.

“Obviously, demand is now higher, and load shedding will increase,” Zulu said, using a local term for rolling blackouts.

Zambia asked mining companies to cut their power use by 10 percent in January 2013 as demand outstripped supply, Reuters reported at the time.

Supplies will increase from the end of the year, when two new plants are scheduled to start producing, Zulu said. The 120-megawatt Itezhi Tezhi hydropower plant will start producing power in October, while electricity generation at the 300-megawatt Maamba coal-fired power station will begin in December, he said.

Source: Zambia Power Cuts Rise as Copper Producer’s Dam Levels Fall (26/05/15)

Batoka Dam 'minimal impact' on World Heritage Site

Some old reference material on the Batoka Gorge Dam, from a UNESCO World Heritage Centre document (1992). Note according to these documents, the lake created by the Batoka Gorge Dam will 'flood up to the third gorge which is about 10 km inside the World Heritage site' but will have 'minimum impacts' on the World Heritage Site. I first read this to mean 10km below the Falls, but it must in fact mean the lake floods 10km up into the World Heritage Site. This is just below the exisiting Victoria Falls Hydro-power Station outlet.

'The Bureau noted that a proposal to construct a dam across the Batoka Gorge could flood some parts of this transfrontier World Heritage site and that the World Heritage Centre has informed the group of consultant engineers who are undertaking an environmental impact assessment of the dam construction project of potential threats to the integrity of this site. The Bureau requested the Secretariat to contact the States Parties concerned and obtain more information on the proposed dam construction project for submission to the Committee in December 1992.

'Since the plans for the construction of the dam across the Batoka Gorge have been drawn up in Zimbabwe, a letter to the national authorities was sent on 14 August 1992, explaining the Bureau's concerns and requesting more information. A copy of that letter was sent to the Zambian authorities. In his reply of 8 October 1992, the Director of the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Management of Zimbabwe has informed the World Heritage Centre that the dam to be built at the Batoka Gorge will flood up to the third gorge which is about 10 km inside the World Heritage site and he is of the view that this change in the ecology of the site will have minimum impacts. The Director has also informed the World Heritage Centre that his Department accepts this development project owing to its minimum impact and the fact that it will produce power under favourable environmental conditions, in contrast to the alternative of thermal power production.

'Since the information provided by the Director, Department of National Parks and Wildlife Management, Zimbabwe, has revealed a threat to the integrity of this trans-frontier World Heritage property, the World Heritage Centre has requested IUCN to verify the information and advise the Committee on possible actions that may be taken to protect the integrity of this site.

Source: link

Zambia plans Ngonye Falls hydropower scheme

Ngonye (Sioma) Falls
Zambia's Western Power Company is looking to develop a US$200 million hydropower facility at Ngonye (Sioma) Falls, expected to generate up to 80 megawatts of power. The project will utilize a barrage across the main east bank river channel of the Zambezi and a pit-type power house.
Western Province is currently one of the least developed areas of Zambia and the coming of the hydropower plant, which will partly be funded by the Development Bank of South Africa, is expected to boost the area’s economic standing and ultimately create jobs for the local people.
Commenting on the development in local media, provincial minister Obvious Mwaliteta said Western Province was moving at a fast rate in terms of development. "The EIA ( Environmental Impact Assessment) done by Western Power was welcomed by people and the BRE (Barotse Royal Establishment)... it will create employment and the new district, Sioma, [will] benefit in terms of social corporate responsibility” he said.
He also said the government was looking at increasing revenue from tourism which would be enhanced around Sioma-Ngonye Falls with the construction of the power station. “Tourism is ripe in that place. But due to its status it is difficult to improve tourism in that area, but once we have a power station there, it will be easy” Mwaliteta said. He added the investment by Western Power Company was a realisation of the government’s commitment to allow private investors help develop Zambia. “It is our vision and our belief to bring the private sector to help us bring development where it is lacking,”.
Source: Barotse Post: $ 200m hydropower plant to develop Western Province

Victoria Falls World Heritage Site Update

Bit of catching up with the state of play regarding official reporting on the Victoria Falls World Heritage Site, joint listed by Zambia and Zimbabwe.
In February 2012 Zambia and Zimbabwe submitted a comprehensive report covering progress made during the two-year period since the last report. The report addressed the specific issues raised previously (following the previous report) and provides a general update on the implementation of measures taken to satisfy the 2006 mission recommendations.
The reports detail joint management meetings and progress over the period, including work towards establishment of 57 benchmarks and indicators that will be used to monitor progress in maintaining the Outstanding Universal Value and ecological integrity of the site. A comprehensive monitoring plan for the site was planned to be submitted by December 2012.
Specific issues highlighted in the online summary include:
Control of invasive species
One major management issue is control of invaise non-native plants. Parties report an intensification of efforts to control invasive species in the falls area using mechanical, chemical and biological methods. A total of 2.5 ha of land was cleared of the invasive weed Lantana camara, but note that they face significant challenges due to its rapid regeneration. The slopes of the gorges are now becoming infested and control work is dependent on State Party funding, which is inadequate.
Tourism development and regulation
The Parties reported an increase in visitor numbers over the 2009 figure, with a combined total of 232,400 visitors in 2010 and 215,380 during the first 11 months of 2011.
On the Zimbabwean side it was reported that a new helipad has been completed away from the falls so that helicopter operators can be relocated and noise pollution reduced. Both State Parties have upgraded their visitor centres and installed electronic ticketing equipment. Other visitor facilities have been improved on the Zimbabwe side, with a new ticket office and upgrading of ablution facilities.
Zambia submitted a new project brief for a tethered balloon. The project brief for this proposal notes that the new location is south of the Eastern Cataract, meaning that the balloon would not appear in the viewing corridor of visitors viewing the Falls from the Zambian side.
Other conservation issues of concern – water abstraction, poaching, pollution, and urban development
An agreement has been reached to reduce water abstraction for hydro-electric power generation by the Zambia Electricity Supply Corporation (ZESCO), which entails a 40% reduction in power generation and correspondingly stronger flow of water over the falls for five hours daily during the critical dry months, when water flows in the Zambezi drop below 400 m³/s. This is intended to ensure that water flows over the eastern cataract (on the Zambian side of the falls) during these peak visitor viewing hours. However, the State Party notes that this measure will not be implemented until the power station is connected to the national power grid, and that there will be no reduction in power generation if the water flows in the Zambezi drop below 200 m³/s.
The report further noted that pollution arising from effluent discharge from urban areas on either side of the border is being addressed. Sewerage ponds on the Zimbabwe side have been rehabilitated, but those on the Zambia side are still reported to be leaking. Mitigation measures have been put in place to address pollution from boat sewage, such as the installation of chemical toilets on all boats operating on the Zambezi river.
Conclusions
'The World Heritage Centre and IUCN note that despite some improvements, helicopter use and noise remains a significant concern that impacts on the quality of experience of visitors to the property and requires continued regulation and management. Furthermore, after reviewing the project brief, the World Heritage Centre and IUCN consider that the new location of the tethered balloon does not mitigate the visual impacts of the balloon on the view from the Zimbabwean side or from river cruises above the falls. They recommend that the Committee recall its Decision 34 COM 7B.6, which re-iterated that any tethered balloon projects close to the property would adversely impact its integrity because, when raised, the balloon is likely to appear within the viewing corridor of the Falls.'
'The World Heritage Centre and IUCN note the measures taken to halt any furher development of hotels and other tourist facilities on the river banks and islands; to reduce noise and river pollution and to maintain the site’s visual integrity and natural unspoilt beauty. They also note that the State Party of Zambia has submitted three environmental project briefs for a five passenger tethered balloon, an amphicoach, and a tent sanctuary and spa lodge facility before taking a decision on these projects, as required by the Operational Guidelines.'
'However, with regards to the amphicoach project, the environmental project brief submitted does not currenty adequately address mitigation of visual and physical impacts. Considering the spa project, the brief should include a limit to the height of the tents and other infrastructure associated to the spa lodge, and specify measures to avoid impacts of the spa on the view from the Zimbabwe side of the river. Furthermore, regarding the spa site, adequate measures should be taken to avoid erosion of top soil within and around the spa lodge site, as well as silt run-off into the river or associated streams as a result of surface drainage of rainwater. While it is possible to assess the impacts of individual development projects on the property, the cumulative effects of a range of tourism related developments will together impact on the property’s Outstanding Universal Value. The World Heritage Centre and IUCN note historical concerns regarding the visual impact of high structures and recommend that the Committee request the State Party that a Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) of development within the property and in its vicinity be conducted, in order to protect the Outstanding Universal Value of the property, including its aesthetic value and the related conditions of integrity.'
'The World Heritage Centre and IUCN note the loss of revenue (estimated at USD 218,160 annually) that would be involved in reducing the amount of water diverted from the falls to generate electricity. They however note that the ZESCO plant, as reported by the State Party, requires 175 m3/s to operate at full capacity, which involves abstraction of 44-87% of typical dry-season flows over the September-January period. This level of water abstraction is clearly affecting the visual impact and aesthetic value of the property (the basis of its inscription on the World Heritage List under criterion (vii)), and may be having other long-term impacts such as degradation of the adjacent rainforest as a result of reduced spray at critical times. The World Heritage Centre and IUCN recommend that the Committee urge the State Party of Zambia to consider further voluntary reductions in dry-season water abstraction so as to fully maintain the Outstanding Universal Value of the property.'
Source: UNESCO Victoria Falls

Brazilian Company expresses interest in building Batoka Dam

The Brailian Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Marcia Maro da Silva, says a Brazilian company has forwarded an Expression of Interest to the Zambezi River Authority in the construction of the Batoka Gorge Dam. The closing date for formal Expressions of Interest in the project is tomorrow (Friday 8th Feb).

Source: The Zimbabwean

Batoka Dam Update

(5th February 2013)

Background on the resurrection of the Batoka Gorge Dam development.

In September 2012 an American hydrologist criticised the plans for the proposed dam designs for the Batoka Gorge Dam and Mphanda Nkuwa Dam (Mozambique) for being based on archive hydrological flow patterns which have not been re-evaluated for future climate change risks including regional drought, reduced flows and increased risk of extreme flooding events.
The report by US State of Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services hydrologist Dr Richard Beilfuss states that the result of the construction of these projects in the Zambezi basin "may be economically non-viable dams" with "an underwhelming performance against more extreme droughts and can also be a danger because they were not designed to deal with the increasingly destructive floods ...The plans for two of the biggest dam projects on the Zambezi - the Batoka Gorge dam and Mphanda Nkuwa - are based on hydrological files and were not evaluated in relation to the risks associated with the reduction of average annual flow and more extreme cycles of floods and droughts." Citing the Intergovernmental Panel on climate change, Beilfuss concluded that the Zambezi basin faces "the worst potential effects of climate changes, when compared to the 11 principal basins of Sub-Saharan Africa, and will face more substantial reduction of rainfall and runoff".
Source: Proposed Zambezi hydropower dams pose some risks, expert warns
In December 2012 Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) invited Expressions of Interest (EoI) from prospective developers on a Build Operate Transfer (BOT) basis, with EoIs to be submitted by 8 Feb 2013.
Source: Batoka power project goes to tender
Details of the project were summarised in the invitation:
"The Batoka Gorge HES is to be located across the boundary between Zambia and Zimbabwe at 18º 1’ S 26º 34’ E, upstream of the existing 1,470 MW Kariba Dam hydroelectric scheme. The proposed scheme includes a 181 m high Roller Compacted Concrete (RCC) gravity arch dam, radial gated crest type spillway, two underground power stations on each side of the river with four 200 MW Francis turbines installed in each, giving a total capacity of 1,600 MW for the scheme. The scheme is designed as a run-of-the river scheme with an estimated average energy generation of 8,700 GWh/year. The reservoir is fully located within the Batoka Gorge and has a relatively small surface area of 26 km2."
Reports expect the project reach completion by 2019. Zambezi River Authority (ZAR) chief executive officer, Engineer Munyaradzi Munodawafa, said the Batoka project would be the largest hydro-power plant in the southern hemisphere and was expected to have a positive socio-economic impact on people from the two countries. “We are looking at the economic benefit the locals are going to derive from the project. Batoka power plant will generate 1 600 megawatts upon completion of the dam."
Fresh feasibility and EIA studies to determine actual works and financing costs for the Batoka Gorge project will have to be undertaken due to the lapse of time (the original feasibility studies were completed in 1993 and a revised EIA undertaken in 1998). Zambia’s power utility Managing Director, Cyprian Chitun, said fresh environmental impact assessment studies will be conducted before the actual construction begins. "An expression of interest was tendered in the press to look for consultants to review the study that was conducted in 1992. We need to ensure that the feasibility study is brought to speed," local source reported. ZRA public relations and communications manageress, Ms Elizabeth Karonga, confirmed the authority was waiting for a new updated Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report before commencing the construction of the dam
In January 2013 it was announced that ministers from Zambia and Zimbabwe were meeting in Victoria Falls to discuss the development of the project
Zimbabwean Energy and Power Development Minister, Elton Mangoma, was reported as saying "We will be looking at all the issues that deal with Kariba Dam, the Batoka project, Devil’s Gorge and also the social aspects — the work to be done for communities around the Kariba Dam," perhaps referring to the still embittered communities resettled after the building of the Kariba Dam in the late 1950s. Mangoma also reported that the tender process for the Kariba 7 and 8 expansion was now at an advanced stage with a funding package expected to be completed by March this year. “The contract for Kariba 7 and 8 has been signed and works for mobilisation are being done. As for Hwange 7 and 8, two tenders are being evaluated and once a tender has been awarded, a final decision would be made. The tender board would be advised,” he said.
Source: Zim/Zambia tackle Batoka project
In early February it was announced that Zimbabwe and Zambia had agreed to set up a steering committee to work with the Zambezi River Authority in constructing the Batoka Gorge power generation plant. Mangoma said that “we will be opening a road to the project site by June from both sides,” he said, adding that the two parties would now be meeting quarterly to review progress.
Source: Zim/Zambia set up Steering Committee for Batoka Project
Location of the Batoka Gorge Dam
The proposed Batoka Gorge dam site is situated on the Zambezi River approximately 3km downstream of Mwemba Falls and 54km downstream from the Victoria Falls, extending across the international boundary between Zambia and Zimbabwe. The Grid Reference for the proposed Batoka Gorge Dam is ML 055-178 on the 1:50,000 scale topographical maps from both Zambia and Zimbabwe (GPS 18º 1’ S 26º 34’ E) . On the Zambia side, Livingstone is approximately 28 km north-west of Batoka Gorge, and on the Zimbabwe side Hwange is approximately 55 km south-west of Batoka Gorge.
Project Objectives
The project aims, as listed by Tumbare (2010) are to:

• - Improve current power generation at Kariba and Kafue through conjunctive operation;
• - Provide a reliable source of power for industries thus enhancing expansion and consistent industrial/manufacturing productivity;
• - Provide additional power to meet electricity demand for Zim and Zam, thus reducing pressure on forests and other organic fuels, and thereby reducing greenhouse gas emissions;
• - Reduce dependency on coal-fired power stations, which are expensive to run, thereby reducing the associated carbon dioxide (C02) emissions;
• - Provide an alternative road link between Zam and Zim across the Zambezi River

Excess power will be exported to the region. The project will also create employment for the local communities, international and regional professionals.
History of the Batoka Gorge Dam
The first geological studies of the Batoka Gorge were undertaken in 1904 with the construction of the Victoria Falls Bridge and planning for the Victoria Falls Hydro Electric Scheme (the project was not realised until 1938).
In 1972 a report by Sir Alexander Gibb & Partners identified several sites on the Zambezi which would be potentially suitable for development as hydro electric schemes. These included Batoka Gorge, Devil’s Gorge, both upstream of Lake Kariba, and Mupata Gorge, downstream of Kariba Dam. The reservoir level for the dam was determined as 762 m above sea level.
In 1981 a second Gibb report relocated the proposed dam site some 12 km upstream due to a mapping error. The reservoir level remained unchanged. The current technical, legal and environmental feasibility studies were carried out in 1993. In 1995 Zambia abandoned the project in favour of cheaper alternatives. A revised EIA was undertaken in 1998 and attempts were made to launch the project again in 2007, but failed due to lack of funding.
Early in 2012 the governments of Zambia and Zimbabwe agreed the settlement of outstanding debts relating to the Kariba Project, and clearing one of the last major obstacles to the progression of the project, and together with the securing of World Bank funding the project was well and truely ressurrected.
Background/Refs
REQUEST FOR EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE BATOKA GORGE HYDROELECTRIC SCHEME (pdf, ZAMBEZI RIVER AUTHORITY)
The Management of the Zambezi River Basin and Kariba Dam M J Tumbare (2010)
Batoka Gorge Feasability Report - Executive Summary - Zambezi River Authority (pdf, 1993)
Batoka Gorge Hydroelectric Scheme Project (pdf presentation, 2005).
Important Bird Areas of Zimbabwe - Batoka Gorge (pdf)
HYDROPOWER Zambezi Basin overview (pdf)
Save the Batoka Gorge There is also a Facebook group called Stop The Batoka Dam On The Zambezi River

FOR LATEST NEWS ON THE BATOKA DAM PROJECT CLICK HERE.

Batoka Gorge Dam

Here's an issue which I reported on in the Zambezi Traveller back in March 2012. Amazingly, in Feburary 2013 few people in Victoria Falls realise that this is very much happening. Talk of daming the Zambezi River below the Victoria Falls has dragged on for so many years that everyone is probably assuming that it is never going to happen because it hasn't happened yet. Well, it's happening - at the beginning of last 2012 the governments of Zambia and Zimbabwe agree settlement of a debt problem which had previously blocked agreement on the Batoka dam project. World Bank funding is also in place, and latest reports on the ground are that the road infrastructure to the dam building site is well on its way to completion.

Batoka Dam One Step Closer

Batoka Power Scheme Revisited

There's also some background to the development here - Save the Batoka Gorge, and a summary of developments as at the September 2012, written for the Victoria Falls Guide, here. Photo Credit: Zambezi Traveller