More water for power generation at Kariba

Original Story Published by: Staff Report, www.thezimbabwemail.com
Photo Source: CGTN Africa

(Above) Kariba Dam.

THE Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) has increased water allocation for power generation at Kariba Hydro-Power Station despite water levels continuing to plummet due to successive droughts.

ZRA chief executive officer Munyaradzi Munodawafa said the authority had allocated four billion cubic metres more to the 23 billion cubic metres that had initially been released to serve the Kariba North and South Power Stations.

Kariba power station is the country’s largest supplier of electricity.

“Following the close of the 2019/2020 rainfall season in April, the Kariba catchment has since stopped registering any rainfall activity accordingly flows of the Zambezi River and its tributaries have receded and the downward trend in river flows will continue until the commencement of the new 2020/2021 rainfall season,” Munodawafa said in a media briefing at the weekend.

“Following the arrival of the upper Kariba catchment peak flood waters at Kariba in June and due to increased demand for electricity, the authority effected a four billion cubic metres upward revision in the 2020 water allocation made for power generation operations at Kariba to be shared equally between the North bank and South bank power station.”