Batoka power station construction set to start in January 2016

ZAMBIA and Zimbabwe will start constructing the 1, 600-Megawatts (MW) Batoka power stations in January 2016, Mines, Energy and Water Development Minister Christopher Yaluma has said contrary to earlier reports that the project construction would start in September 2015.

Two Batoka Gorge hydroelectric power stations with the capacity of 800 MW each will be constructed around 54 kilometres downstream from Victoria Falls extending across the international boundary of the two countries.

Mr Yaluma said the Batoka Hydro Electric Scheme was expected to start in January next year and it would run up to 2021 or 2022.

He said the feasibility studies for the Batoka power stations were going-on well currently and would be concluded by July this year after which the two countries would have financial advisors to make the way forward on the project.

Yaluma made the remarks while at Victoria Falls town in the Zimbabwean side at the just ended Zambuia River Authority 32nd Council of Ministers meeting.

During the meeting the ministers approved the ZRA 2015 budget which included provision for counterpart funding fo0r development of Batoka Hydro Electric Scheme and the rehabilitation of Kariba Dam.

"We are very conversant of the time factor and hence this project will start in January 2016 and it will run up to about 20121 and 2022," said Yaluma.  He said $294,2 million was required for the project.

"We have secured the funding on paper to rehabilitate Kariba Dam, Grants are almost tripling and we are also supposed to get more loans. We should start rehabilitating the Dam in the next four to five months particularly around September. We are very much on track as this is a very key project and we will ensure to deliver on that project," he said.

He also assured water rafters that water rafting activities would not come to an end once the Batoka power schemes were realized.

Zimbabwe's minister of Energy and Power Development Samuel Undenge said there was need for the two countries to boost their power generation capacity.

Currently, ZRA is using a US$6 million grant from the World Bank for reviewing feasibility studies and Environmental Impact Assessment