27.9.2024
22:03
The
Zambezi
River
Authority
(ZRA)
has
allocated
a
total
of
27
billion
cubic
meters
(BCM)
of
water
for
power
generation
in
2025,
up
from
16
BCM
it
allocated
for
2024.
This
water
will
be
shared
equally
between
Zambia’s
ZESCO
Limited
and
the
Zimbabwe
Power
Company
(ZPC).
ZRA
announced
this
update
on
September
27,
2024,
which
includes
information
about
water
allocation
at
Kariba
Dam,
the
outlook
for
rainfall
in
the
Kariba
Catchment
area,
and
current
water
levels
in
the
reservoir.
In
making
this
allocation,
ZRA
considered
the
weather
forecast
from
the
Southern
African
Climate
Outlook
Forum
(SARCOF),
which
predicts
conditions
for
the
Southern
African
Development
Community
(SADC)
region
during
the
2024/2025
rainfall
season.
Said
ZRA:
During
the
Southern
African
Climate
Outlook
Forum
(SARCOF)
held
in
Harare,
Zimbabwe
in
August
2024,
local,
regional
and
international
weather
experts
provided
the
forecast
for
the
upcoming
2024/2025
rainfall
season.The
forum
predicted
that
the
Southern
African
Development
Community
(SADC)
region,
which
includes
the
Kariba
Catchment,
is
likely
to
experience
Normal
to
Above-
Normal
rainfall
during
the
2024/2025
rainfall
season.
Furthermore,
it
was
indicated
that
the
season
would
commence
during
the
last
quarter
of
2024.In
addition
to
the
SARCOF
projections,
the
Meteorological
Departments
of
Zambia
and
Zimbabwe
provided
the
associated
downscaled
forecasts.Both
forecasts
indicate
that
the
Kariba
Lower
Catchment
(covering
northern
Zimbabwe)
and
the
North-eastern
Angola
section
of
the
Zambezi
River
Catchment
are
likely
to
receive
Below-Normal
rainfall
from
October
2024
to
January
2025.This
could
negatively
impact
river
inflows
into
Lake
Kariba
during
that
period.
ZRA
added
that
based
on
hydrological
simulations
and
consultations,
it
has
decided
to
allocate
a
total
of
27
billion
cubic
meters
(BCM)
of
water
for
power
generation
at
Kariba
Dam
in
2025.
This
water
will
be
divided
equally,
with
ZESCO
Limited
and
the
Zimbabwe
Power
Company
(ZPC)
each
receiving
13.5
BCM.
This
water
allocation
will
be
reviewed
at
the
end
of
March
2025,
considering
the
actual
rainfall,
river
inflows,
and
current
water
levels
in
the
dam.
In
December
2023,
ZRA
had
allocated
16
billion
cubic
metres
of
water
for
2024,
also
shared
equally
between
ZESCO
and
ZPC.
As
of
September
23,
2024,
the
usable
water
storage
in
Lake
Kariba
was
only
7%,
compared
to
22.88%
on
the
same
date
in
2023.
In
recent
months,
ZPC
has
been
generating
a
maximum
of
215
MW
of
power
at
the
Kariba
South
Hydro
Power
Station
after
ZRA
reduced
the
water
supply
to
the
two
power
plants.
Post
published
in:
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