THE African Development Bank (AfDB) is still studying the terms of reference for the 2400MW Batoka hydro-power project, meaning Zimbabwe and Zambia have to endure power cuts for much longer.
BY VICTORIA MTOMBA
The two countries are facing power outages due to low water levels at Kariba dam, which generates the bulk of their power.
Speaking on the sidelines of the Programme for Infrastructure Development in Africa (Pida) week in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, AfDB division manager Souare Mamady said Batoka was one of the projects earmarked under Pida.
“We are now studying the terms of reference and it will take a year to get the study on track and then we will begin,” he said.
In 2012, Zambia and Zimbabwe signed a Memorandum of Understanding and expressions of interest were invited the same year.
The project’s legal and environmental feasibility studies were carried out in 1993 and until now, nothing much has moved on the project.
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Zimbabwe generates 1 112 MW of power a day against a demand of 2 000 MW, which has led to massive load shedding affecting industry, households, health and various other sectors of the economy.
The country requires $5 billion over five years to implement some of the energy projects that it is pursuing. The projects include solar, hydroelectricity, thermals and others.
