Gruner Stucky announces that commissioning has commenced on Sluice 2 as part of the Kariba Dam Spillway Refurbishment Project, with initial tests yielding promising and satisfactory results. This marks a major milestone in a technically demanding, multi-year effort to secure the future of one of Africa’s most critical hydropower assets.
The Kariba Dam: a 128-meter-high double curvature concrete arch dam, commissioned in 1960 — forms Lake Kariba, the world’s largest man-made reservoir by volume at 183 km³. With a total installed capacity of 2,010 MW, the dam supplies essential hydroelectric power to both Zambia and Zimbabwe. After decades of operation, rehabilitation of the spillway became essential to ensure the long-term safety, stability, and efficiency of the dam.
Since 2019, the project has addressed not only complex civil works but also highly intricate hydromechanical refurbishment, including the replacement and rehabilitation of key spillway components — all carried out without lowering the reservoir level. This required carefully engineered cofferdam systems, underwater operations, and meticulous coordination — a remarkable example of advanced dam engineering under live conditions.
The works are financed by the World Bank, the African Development Bank, and the Swedish Government, through loans and grants provided to the Republics of Zambia and Zimbabwe.
As construction and testing progress in parallel, they are now approaching the final stages. With each of the six sluices nearing completion, Gruner Stucky reflects with pride on the teamwork, technical skill, and dedication that have driven the project forward. This is more than just a milestone — it’s a testament to collaboration, resilience, and innovation in dam safety and infrastructure sustainability.