- Water levels at the Kariba Dam have dropped significantly, with the usable live storage for power generation declining from 29.05% in 2023 to just 10.35%
- Electricity demand from the mining sector alone has reached 2,600 MW against a generation capacity of only 1,200 MW.
- Zimbabwe needs to urgently explore and invest in alternative power generation methods, such as solar energy, which has an estimated potential of 39.5 GW in the country
Harare-Zimbabweans are set to experience more frequent and prolonged power outages in the coming weeks, as water levels at the critical Kariba Dam continue to decline.
As of August 5th, 2024, the water level at Kariba Dam has dropped to 477.00 meters, down from 479.62 meters in 2023.
This has resulted in the usable live storage for power generation declining to just 10.35%, compared to 29.05% during the same period last year.
The usable live storage volume has also decreased from 18.82 billion cubic meters (BCM) in 2023 to only 6.70 BCM currently.
The Kariba Dam is designed to operate between levels of 775.50 meters and 488.50 meters, with a 0.70 meter freeboard for hydropower generation.
However, the current water levels are dangerously close to the lower limit, significantly impacting the dam's power generation capacity.
Kariba Dam has a total generation capacity of 2,010 megawatts and typically produces around 6,400 gigawatt-hours per year.
But due to the diminishing water levels, the dam is currently generating only an average of 400 megawatts per day for both Zambia and Zimbabwe.
As a result, Zimbabweans are already experiencing blackouts of up to 16 hours per day in high-density suburbs such as Kuwadzana, Dzivarasekwa, Glen View, and Budiriro.
This situation is expected to worsen in the coming months and years, highlighting the unreliability of hydropower generation in the face of the ongoing climate change-induced drought.
To address this challenge, Zimbabwe and its neighbors must urgently explore alternative and more reliable power generation methods, such as solar energy.
Zambia has already signed a memorandum of understanding with the United Arab Emirates to set up a 2-gigawatt solar plant, and Zimbabwe is also taking steps to expand its thermal power generation capacity by adding units 9 and 10 at the Hwange Power Station.
However, the demand for electricity in the mining sector alone has already reached 2,600 megawatts, far exceeding the current generation capacity of 1,200 megawatts.
By 2030, the country's electricity demand is expected to reach 5,000 megawatts, making it imperative for Zimbabwe to leverage its abundant solar energy potential, estimated at 39.5 gigawatts, to ensure a more reliable and sustainable power supply for its citizens and industries.
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