• 600MW floating solar plant on Lake Kariba to begin in 2026
  
  
• Project timeline revised due to Zambia’s shared lake approval needs
  
  
• Aims to cut hydropower reliance amid drought-linked electricity shortfalls
  

Construction of a 600-megawatt floating power plant on Lake Kariba in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Zimbabwe is expected to begin in the second quarter of 2026, Bloomberg reported, citing Agriculture Minister Anxious Masuka. The report said the first phase will involve installing solar panels on land near the artificial lake.

The revised timeline differs from comments made in June 2024 by Energy and Power Development Secretary Gloria Magombo, who said 150 megawatts of solar panels would be installed at the Kariba dam. The shift is linked to the need for Zambia’s approval, since the country shares the lake with Zimbabwe.

The project is intended to diversify Zimbabwe’s energy supply and reduce dependence on hydropower. Electricity generation has been disrupted in recent years by droughts that lowered water levels at Kariba. The hydropower station, which provides more than half of the country’s electricity, is currently producing 550 megawatts compared with an installed capacity of 1,050 megawatts.

The plant is expected to cost 650 million dollars and is scheduled for completion by 2031. Regarding financing, Bloomberg reported that industrial electricity consumers secured 4.4 million dollars from the African Export-Import Bank in June to fund a feasibility study. They are seeking up to 350 million dollars for the first phase of the project.

Espoir Olodo