Power Cuts To Ease As ZESA Gets More Water From Lake Kariba
The Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) has increased its water allocation for power generation by 12 Billion Cubic Meters (BCM) following the normal to above normal 2020/21 rainfall season.
In a statement this Friday, ZRA chief executive Engineer Munyaradzi Munodawafa said the water will be shared equally between Zambia’s power utility ZESCO and Zimbabwe’s ZPC, the power generation arm of ZESA holdings.
Below is the statement from Eng. Munodawafa which Pindula News is publishing in full:
INCREASE OF WATER ALLOCATION FOR POWER GENERATION AT KARIBA
Lusaka, 25th June 2021
The Zambezi River Authority (the Authority) hereby announces an increase in water allocation for power generation at Kariba by 12 Billion Cubic Meters (BCM).
The allocated amount is to be shared equally between the two power utilities, ZESCO Limited (ZESCO) and the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC), for their respective power generation operations at Kariba North Bank Power Station (KNBPS) and Kariba South Bank Power Station (KSBPS) for the remainder of 2021.
This 12 BCM increase in water allocation, attributable to the normal to above normal rainfall performance, implies that the 2021 water allocation has been revised upwards from 30BCM to 42 BCM to be shared equally between the two power Utilities for their respective power generation operations at Kariba for the year 2021.
The Authority has made this revision in the water allocation in line with its mandate which includes undertaking quarterly hydrological reviews to inform reservoir operations at Kariba.
These reviews take into consideration, among other factors, the seasonal rainfall performance.
The Authority will continue to undertake these quarterly hydrological reviews and accordingly inform its stakeholders and members of the general public.
