Kariba project crucial to Zim -Zambia’s socio-economic development

MOREBLESSING MARANGE RECENTLY IN KARIBA

Energy and Power Development Minister, Edgar Moyo has indicated that the completion of the rehabilitation of the plunge pool at the Kariba Dam is essential to guarantee a steady supply of electricity   that will sustain the economies of Zimbabwe and Zambia in the unforeseen future.

Zimbabwe and Zambia share water for electricity generation at Kariba Dam.

However, the dam wall was compromised over the years  by the erosion of the plunge pool with the foundations chipped down  to depth beyond  permissible levels .

The development raised the prospect that the dam wall would weaken and eventually collapse.

The project, which was commissioned last week, involved the excavation of roughly 750 000 tonnes of rock, which is expected to add  at least 60 years to the bridge’s lifespan.

Apart from improving the safety and increasing the Dam’s lifespan, the project has seen the reshaping of the plunge pool, which has increased its size, reducing the pressure the water spilling into the plunge pool exerts on the base of the pool thereby slowing the erosion of the natural rock floor.

Speaking at the commissioning of the project, Minister Moyo, who is also Chairperson of the ZRA Council of Ministers, stated: “One cannot overemphasize the pivotal role that access to sustainable clean energy plays in socio-economic development.

“Zambia, and Zimbabwe specifically, and the Southern African region, have the potential to be forces to be reckoned with in the agriculture, mining, and other key economic sectors. But this is not possible without sustainable energy supply.”

The completion of the plunge pool project makes it now possible to start replenishing the water to preserve the normal downstream flow.

The project which began seven years ago, running concurrently with the rehabilitation of the spillway, was undertaken by a French contractor Razel-Bec, under the supervision of Zambezi River Authority (ZRA), a joint venture outfit which operates, maintains and manages the Kariba dam on behalf of the governments of Zambia and Zimbabwe and had a  technical support from the Swiss company Gruner Stucky.

 The project was funded by a combination of funds generated internally by the ZRA, and amortized loans and grants from cooperating partners like the World Bank, African Development Bank, European Union, and Swedish International Development Agency.

Speaking at the same occasion, Sithembinkosi Mhlanga, the Acting CEO of ZRA said the refilling of the plunge pool is expected to be complete by October this year.

“…(We expect) the refilling of the plunge pool  to be completed by October. We’re expecting to fill the plunge pool with something over 600 000 m³ of water” he said.

Zambia’s Minister of Energy, Makazo Chikoto weighed in saying the project will be a game changer.

The EU Hors Classe Advisor, Henrick Hololel, highlighted the significance of the plunge pool project.

He commended the adherence to international standards and its role in ensuring the long-term stability of Lake Kariba Dam and the continued generation of clean energy.

“This project is an excellent example of what the EU’s Global Gateway Strategy is about.

We want to assure that there is a good basis for the energy production and in this case of course it is even better because there are two countries who are benefiting from the rehabilitation project of the Kariba Dam.

Our aim is really to help the countries in having sufficient energy supply as well as focusing on renewables,” he said.

The other component of the Kariba project is the rehabilitation of the spillway, which will comprise the refurbishment of the upstream stop-beam guides and the replacement of secondary concrete, and the design, fabrication and installation of an emergency gate and a new gantry as an additional safety precaution.

The spillway consists of the six gates in the upper part of the concrete dam wall through which the ZRA releases water into the plunge pool to manage the reservoir water levels.

The works are scheduled to be completed by 2025.

The  Kariba dam, built between 1955 and 1959, supplies water to two underground hydropower stations, the North Bank Power Station, which is operated by Zambia’s ZESCO and the South Bank Power Station, operated by Zimbabwe Power Company.