The European Union (EU) has provided approximately $120 million (€113 million) to support the rehabilitation of the Kariba Dam, as a contribution to its Global Gateway initiative aimed at enhancing Zimbabwe’s electricity generation capabilities. This announcement was made during a recent site visit by EU ambassadors to Zimbabwe and Zambia, including Jobst von Kirtman and Karolina Stasiak, alongside government representatives, including Energy Minister Edgar Moyo and his Zambian counterpart Peter Chibwe Kapala, among other dignitaries.
Kariba Dam is jointly owned by Zimbabwe and Zambia, and both countries produce electricity from it under the administration of the Zambezi River Authority.
Kirtman stated that the rehabilitation of Kariba Dam is a component of the EU’s initiative, which aims to address the world’s most critical issues in a sustainable manner.
Scheduled Commission Date for Kariba Dam Rehabilitation
With optimism from the primary funding partner, the European Union (EU), and the Zambezi River Authority, the progress on this project is well on track, and it is expected to be commissioned in 2025.
Rehabilitation of this dam has the potential to boost Zimbabwe’s total electricity output by more than 50%. The collaboration involving the EU, the Zambezi River Authority, the World Bank, the African Development Bank, the Swedish International Development and Cooperation, and both Zambia and Zimbabwe represents an investment not just in infrastructure but in the long-term prospects of both Zimbabwe and Zambia.
Zimbabwe manages a hydroelectric power plant with a capacity of 1,050 megawatts on Lake Kariba. However, a crisis emerged last year when Lake Kariba’s water levels significantly declined, leading to severe power shortages in both Zimbabwe and Zambia.
The European Union emphasized the importance of restoring the Kariba Dam, highlighting that a potential dam failure could have catastrophic consequences, potentially endangering the lives of over 500,000 people. This could also trigger a chain reaction affecting other dams, impacting nearly three million people and causing an estimated economic loss exceeding US$20 billion.
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