Zimbabwe and Zambia, through the Zambezi River Authority (ZRA), have initiated feasibility studies for installing floating solar systems at Kariba Dam. This comes as the dam’s capacity to generate electricity from its hydroelectric plants has been declining due to recurring droughts blamed on climate change.
Last week, Energy and Power Development Minister Edgar Moyo told the National Assembly (Lower House of Parliament) that the ongoing study is being conducted with support from the African Development Bank. He said:
There is also a programme that we are working on through ZRA and as council of ministers which is a bi-national body bringing together Zambia and Zimbabwe. We have commissioned a study which is being financed by AfDB to look at the viability of floating solar systems on Lake Kariba.
That is ongoing and it is our timeline that by the first quarter of 2025, that feasibility study will be complete and then that will help us to commence works on floating solar systems on Lake Kariba.
There are other programmes also on floating solar systems on Lake Kariba which are going to begin early next year. So, these are some of the things we are doing. Floating solar systems allow companies to expand solar power plants without using additional land, making them environmentally friendly.
Mounted on floating platforms, these solar modules promise high yields and benefit from proximity to water, which helps cool the solar cells for efficient operation even in hot weather. Zimbabwe is experiencing depressed generation capacity, particularly at its key facilities: Kariba Dam and Hwange Thermal Power Station. Kariba Dam, which boasts an installed capacity of 1,050 MW, has been generating a paltry 184 MW in the past few months.
