Zambia and Zimbabwe are stepping up efforts to attract investment for the long-stalled $5 billion Batoka Gorge hydropower project by reviving a controversial proposal to source water from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Zambezi River Authority, a joint agency between the two nations responsible for managing the Kariba Dam, has assembled a dedicated team to engage investors for the proposed 2,400-megawatt plant.
Construction of the Batoka Gorge hydropower project was originally slated to begin in 2020 but faced delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic and challenges in securing financing. In a major shake-up last year, Zambia cancelled a 2019 contract awarded to General Electric Co. and China’s Power Construction Corp., citing procurement irregularities.
To strengthen the Kariba Dam’s capacity and address the growing threat of erratic rainfall linked to climate change, Zambia and Zimbabwe are considering a bold plan: diverting up to 16 billion cubic meters (4.3 trillion gallons) of water annually from the Congo River.