Kariba generation capacity increases

The Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) has increased water allocation for electricity generation at Kariba Power station to 30 billion cubic meters following a favourable outlook for the 2020/21 rain season.

The allocation, which was increased from 27 billion cubic meters will be shared equally between Zambia and Zimbabwe for their power operations at Kariba.

This is an increase from the 22 billion cubic metres that the authority allocated during the same period last year, effectively capping combined power generation output at around 550MW (or 275MW for each of the two power plants at Kariba).

ZRA acting chief executive Edward Kabwe said rainfall projections implied that the Kariba catchment had a higher probability of receiving normal to above normal rainfall.