Zambia and Zimbabwe are retendering a $5 billion project to build a hydropower plant they previously awarded to General Electric and Power Construction Corp of China, and expect to select new bidders by September next year, an official said.
The Zambezi River Authority — a joint venture between the countries that maintains the Kariba Dam complex — expects to receive bids from potential developers by April 2025 and select bidders five months after that, ZRA Chief Executive Officer Munyaradzi Munodawafa said by email.
Work on the 2 400-megawatt Batoka Gorge project was initially scheduled to begin in 2020, but it encountered several delays, including the onset of the coronavirus pandemic and difficulties in securing funding. In June, Zambian Energy Minister Peter Kapala said the nation would exit the 2019 contract with GE and Power China because proper procurement methods weren’t followed when the deal was struck.