The refilling of the plunge pool at Kariba Dam has officially begun, marking a significant milestone in the ongoing Kariba Dam Rehabilitation Project (KDRP).
By Tina Musonza
This ambitious initiative, aimed at stabilizing the dam’s downstream area, refurbishing the spillway, and extending the dam’s lifespan by an additional 60 years, brings promising news for electricity production in both Zimbabwe and Zambia.
The announcement was made yesterday during the inaugural KDRP Plunge Pool Refilling event in Kariba. The ceremony was attended by over a hundred stakeholders, including representatives from Global Gateway, the European Union (EU) delegation to Zimbabwe and Zambia, the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Zambezi River Authority (ZRA), and the Government of Sweden.
The plunge pool excavation works, a key component of the project, involved reshaping and widening the 80-meter pool, which had formed due to the immense pressure exerted by water jets during spillover events. This reshaping was crucial to prevent further erosion along the fault zone near the dam’s foundations.
Mr. Henrick Hololel, Hors Classe Advisor for the EU delegation to Zimbabwe and Zambia, emphasized the importance of the plunge pool project as one of the first completed initiatives under the Global Gateway program. He praised its adherence to international standards and its role in ensuring the long-term stability of Lake Kariba Dam and the continued generation of clean energy.
“The successful completion of these works underscores the EU and its Member States’ commitment to supporting Zimbabwe and Zambia in finalizing this project. This will secure the dam’s stability and maintain the 2,130 MW of clean power generation capacity for both countries in the years ahead,” Mr. Hololel stated.
He further highlighted the Global Gateway’s strategy of fostering mutually beneficial partnerships with countries like Zimbabwe and Zambia, aiming to support viable economic development projects in Africa despite financial constraints.
Minister Edgar Moyo, chairperson of the Zambezi River Authority Council of Ministers and Zimbabwe’s Minister of Energy and Power, underscored the plunge pool refilling’s significance for the region’s energy security. He noted that sustainable clean energy is essential for socio-economic development in Zambia, Zimbabwe, and the broader Southern African Development Community (SADC) region.
“The refilling of the plunge pool is a critical step in the overall rehabilitation and maintenance of the Kariba Dam, ensuring its continued functionality and safety for the surrounding areas,” Minister Moyo said.
The project aligns with SADC’s Vision 2050, which focuses on infrastructure development to promote regional integration and industrialization. Minister Moyo commended the EU’s efforts, which resonate with the national plans of Zimbabwe and Zambia to significantly increase their electricity generation capacities by 2025 and 2026, respectively.
ZRA Co-chairperson and Zambia’s Minister of Energy, Hon. Makozo Chikote, expressed confidence in the project’s progress, noting that the plunge pool component is over 99 percent complete. He emphasized the importance of this achievement as the region anticipates improved water inflows in the coming seasons.
The plunge pool refilling process is expected to be completed by October 2024. The KDRP, co-financed by the EU, World Bank, AfDB, SIDA, and ZRA, comprises three main components: institutional support, plunge pool reshaping, and spillway refurbishment.
Kariba Dam, constructed across the Zambezi River from 1956 to 1959 and commissioned in 1960, continues to be a vital source of energy for Zimbabwe and Zambia. The ongoing rehabilitation project is essential to ensuring its longevity and the continued supply of clean energy to the region.