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2,400 MW Batoka Gorge Hydroelectric Project May Never Take Off

2 months agoWed, 20 Nov 2024 08:52:20 GMT
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2,400 MW Batoka Gorge Hydroelectric Project May Never Take Off

The Batoka Gorge Hydroelectric Project, meant to solve perennial electricity shortages in Zimbabwe and Zambia, may not proceed due to significant hurdles, an official has revealed.

The multi-billion-dollar power plant, planned since 1972, is expected to generate 2,400 MW to alleviate power shortages.

Despite renewed efforts in the past decade, ZESA Holdings executive chairperson Sydney Gata said that the project is fraught with risks.

Gata, who was speaking during the ongoing Zimbabwe-Zambia Energy Projects Summit in Victoria Falls, said (via NewsDay):

The other thing that I would like to mention, especially in respect of Batoka, is that we always need to do more exhaustive feasibility studies.

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The project has not seen the light of day since 42 years ago. One of the reasons is that there has not been an exhaustive review of markets and also hydrology.

The project that we have today, in our experience, will not work. There is also a question of enforcement risk.

Enforcement risk is my translation of the experience we had in the reconstitution of CAPCO (Central African Power Corporation) and the formation of ZRA (Zambezi River Authority). That process was not clean.

Due to low water levels at Kariba Dam, power generation at both Kariba North and Kariba South Power Stations has been severely impacted, resulting in up to 20 hours of load shedding per day in both Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The Kariba South Power Station, operated by ZESA, has a generation capacity of 1,050 MW but is currently producing only 124 MW. Said Gata:

… decisions were being made at a political level without regard to the position of technocrats”.

I said that not all the political leadership is aware of this. We tried very hard to advocate for further extensive studies.

Certain hydrological models and models of investment can overcome this ugly picture. Batoka, as it stands now, is a victim of load factor risk.

It is also a victim of load profile risk, but you can mitigate both. If you do further feasibility studies, there are other options. In fact, some of them we knew about in 1984.

I am surprised that they have not been taken into account. Batoka also needs a market study that is honest and relevant.

In 2021, the Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) announced that the consortium chosen to build the project was having difficulty securing funding.

More: Pindula News

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26 Comments

Anonymous · 2 months ago
So now that happens "gentle men"
Anonymous · 2 months ago
I m glad this project will not be actualised.These joint country projects are bad because of suspicion and mistrust. As matters stand now, Zambia can never work in collaboration with Zimbabwe for obvious reasons.
Anonymous · 2 months ago
What a joke let's look at gwayi shangani dam. Did we not hear that gwayi shangani dam started construction in 2004 with funding but then we hear it started in 2017 so many conflicting stories so I don't believe much that is said. Tanzania has completed there new dam which the dam wall is 3 times the length and double the height than gwayi and took 5 years complete
Walos · 2 months ago
Lake Kyle power generation project is almost completely, only final touches left but is taking too long. If done will contribute much to the alleviation of power crisis
Anonymous · 2 months ago
All projects in the country whether on draft stage or implementation stage have a corruption levy factor..
Corruptmore Looto · 2 months ago
Exactly, that's why they rarely takeoff
Corruptmore Looto · 2 months ago
I don't get this at all. Why continue investing in things which are vulnerable to climate change. Use that coal, f@uck anyone else who tells us otherwise. The West had their time with coal now it's our turn, others are using their oil non stop so why shouldn't we use our coal while also turning some into oil. I also acknowledge that all of the above requires massive investments and as long as we have the Zanu PF government we should forget about getting that investment, so in conclusion I can say in the near to medium term we are doomed.
1
Anonymous · 2 months ago
U guys in Zim need somebody like our HH man who has turned Zambia around 360°
jojo · 2 months ago
This project is only on paper, it willnot happen, not in a thousand years coz of the visible corruption and who in their right mind would invest in a floating zig currency country? you invest usd and they want to pay back in Zvigwishu.
Anonymous · 2 months ago
You are 100% correct. It will be expensive, but you will have to stop theft/corruptionn first, repay the the World Bank the Paris Club and others and then get a govt that is pro investing.
Ctrl Alt Del · 2 months ago
ka Gwanda solar project makakonewa mozotaura Batoka
Gushaz · 2 months ago
uchanyarara hamusatin
Anonymous · 2 months ago
Now it is story after story as i always say. This mega Project Batoka must be undertaken,Simple. The Zimbabwe and Zambia people must come together and build this power plant.
Ediots · 2 months ago
Gata unable to communicate. throws in technical jargon and says nothimg meaningful.
Botha · 2 months ago
DAI ANA SMITH shame thinking of dead bones . you have been Smith's grave mate buried rogether .
p0rπhub · 2 months ago
1972 ? dai ana smith vachiripo yatovako project iyoyo
🧐 🤔 🤨 🤪 · 2 months ago
I think during Smith is time it was stalled ne war
Anonymous · 2 months ago
More studies means more money in the pocket for studies that would have already been done and now at a higher price tag with the same report as 1972.
Anonymous · 2 months ago
All studies have been made ,all you have to make sure is that the Ch...nks don't get the contract to build and the contractor uses the correct quality of cement
mnangagwa · 2 months ago
usanyepe mfana ndini ndirikutonga
Scud · 2 months ago
Ko Tokwe Mukosi how far?
Africa's Finest · 2 months ago
muchataura zvese gore rino

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