Zambia’s power distribution company, ZESCO Limited, has assured the nation that electricity generation at the Kariba North Bank Power Station will remain stable enough to support the current load-shedding schedule, despite ongoing water rationing efforts.
According to ZESCO officials, the Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) has allocated ZESCO 13.5 billion cubic liters of water for 2025, which must be carefully managed to last until the next rainy season, expected toward the end of the year.
Although the 2024-2025 rainy season brought relatively good rainfall, the inflows into Lake Kariba have not been sufficient to allow full-capacity generation.
Kariba North Bank, with an installed capacity of 1,080 megawatts, is currently operating at reduced output, with some turbines shut down due to limited water availability.
Addressing a section of journalists during a tour of the Kariba North Bank Power Station, Senior Engineer Kenney Singogo of ZESCO cautioned that failure to manage the water allocation from ZRA could be problematic. “Failure to manage this allocation responsibly could disrupt the current load-shedding plan and result in more frequent outages, similar to what we experienced at the end of 2024,” he cautioned.
The tour helped stakeholders appreciate why electricity load-shedding has continued—albeit with reduced hours—despite the good rains recorded this year. It highlighted the delicate balance between rainfall, water inflows, and power generation capacity, reinforcing the need for cautious and sustainable water use.
ZESCO also explained that the challenges faced in hydropower generation have driven the company to diversify its energy portfolio by investing in solar power alternatives, aiming to strengthen energy security and reduce dependence on fluctuating water levels. “The water levels are rising steadily, which is encouraging,” said Eng. Singogo. “However, unless we receive exceptionally high rainfall, it is unlikely the reservoir will reach full capacity this year.”
Lake Kariba is fed by the Zambezi River, which is jointly managed by Zambia and Zimbabwe. Each country, through its respective power utility—ZESCO and Zimbabwe Power Company—has been allocated 13.5 billion cubic liters of water for electricity generation in 2025. The Zambezi River Authority remains optimistic that both utilities will adhere strictly to their allocations to preserve the shared resource.
“We are confident that ZESCO and the Zimbabwe Power Company will remain within their prescribed limits,” said ZRA Public Relations and Communications Manager Selusiwe Moyo. “Our hydrologists are continuously monitoring the water levels to ensure accurate and timely advisories are issued to both power stations.”
ZESCO reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining the current load-shedding schedule and pledged to update the public should there be any improvements in the water situation and generation capacity.
Source: https://energynewsafrica.com
Discover more from Energy News Africa
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.