Zimbabwe’s kariba hydro-power plant has resumed operation for the first time since 2018 at a near-full water capacity after a severe drought that shuttered power production.
Last year, Lake Kariba, the world’s largest man-made lake and reservoir by volume —a major source of drinking water and energy in Southern Africa—stood at its lowest level in four decades. Water levels on Lake Kariba fell steadily as southern Africa had endured a long-term drought.
The drought that slowed down Victoria waterfalls, the region’s biggest tourist attractions, to a trickle took Zimbabwe through an experience of the worst regional drought leading to drying up of dams and water reservoirs in the country.
Power generation activities stopped for more than a year at the Kariba hydro-power plant which aggregated to power rationing in both Zimbabwe and neighboring Zambia. Both countries rely on the lake for about half of their power.
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Lake Kariba, the world’s largest man-made reservoir, now has enough water to keep the plant running to near peak capacity. The facility was upgraded in 2018 to expand output from 750MW to 1,050 MW.
According to Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC), the plant was generating 902 MW of electricity last week.
ZPC acknowledges that the significant water inflow to lake Kariba granted the full throttle operations for the first time in the current winter period.
Kenneth Maswera, ZPC’s acting manager, pointed out the possibility of water levels reductions in the first week of September, but still within the stipulated guidelines for power allocations.
The bulk supply of electricity in Zimbabwe is produced at the Kariba Dam Hydroelectric Power Station, the Hwange Thermal Power Station and at three smaller coal-fired power stations, all of which are managed by the ZESA subsidiary, the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC). Zimbabwe is heavily reliant on its water and coal resources to produce electricity.
