Kariba Power Station May Shutdown Next Month as Water Reserves Run Dry

Kariba Power Station Faces Shutdown as Water Reserves Run Dry

Zesco Limited, Zambia’s power utility, has issued a stark warning: the Kariba North Bank Power Station may be forced to shut down as early as next month due to rapidly depleting water reserves at the Kariba Dam.

Power Supply Deficit Expected

In a statement released on Monday, the utility said it currently faces an imminent challenge of potentially exhausting the remaining water reserves at Kariba by September 14th. This could result in the complete shutdown of the power station, which generates a significant portion of Zambia’s electricity.

Zesco Spokesperson Matongo Maumbi said the utility anticipates a significant power supply gap from September 2024 due to the growing drought-induced hydropower generation deficit.

Zesco Spokesperson Matongo Maumbi explained that the utility anticipates a substantial power supply gap starting from September 2024. This deficit is being driven by a “growing drought-induced hydropower generation deficit” which currently stands at 1,086 Megawatts (MW) for August 2024 and is projected to reach 1,280MW in September 2024.

Possible Shutdown of Kariba Power Station

Maumbi had previously warned that if Zambia does not secure sufficient electricity imports to make up for the shortfall, the Kariba North Bank Power Station may indeed shut down. He confirmed this possibility, stating,

“If we don’t get enough imports, it’s a possibility, yes. I think that has been made very public, that is a possibility.”

Also read: Zimbabwe Plunged Back into Darkness: ZESA Explains Increased Loadshedding After SADC Summit

ZESCO Seeks Emergency Tariff Increase

To mitigate the impact of this potential power crisis, Zesco Limited has applied to the Energy Regulation Board in Zambia for an emergency tariff adjustment. This adjustment is aimed at generating revenue that can facilitate the purchase of additional power from imports and the deployment of inland diesel power generation plants.

The proposed tariff changes aim to address the ongoing power crisis and minimize its impact across various sectors of the Zambian economy.

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