BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI
The Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) has increased its water allocation for power generation operations at Kariba Dam for 2021 by three billion cubic meters following indications that the region will receive normal rainfall this season.
In June ZRA had given Zimbabwe and Zambia’s power companies Zesco Limited Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC), respectively, an additional 12 billion cubic meters of water to ease electricity shortages in both countries.
“Consequently, the 2021 allocation increased from the initial combined allocation of 30BCM granted at the commencement of 2021 to 42 BCM,” ZRA chief executive officer Munyaradzi Munodawafa said in a press statement on Friday.
“As a result of this decision, the two utilities have effectively been allocated a combined total of 45 BCM of water for 2021, with each utility expected to utilise a total of 22.5BCM for its respective power generation operations at Kariba for the year.”
Munodawafa said the authority’s decision to increase the 2021 water allocation was premised on the provisions of the ZRA Act, which provides for the regulation of the Kariba reservoir in liaison with the two power generation utilities.
He said the provisions of the ZRA Act had been operationalised under a tripartite Water Purchase Agreement (WPA) signed between the two utilities and the authority.
“The WPA made provision for quarterly reviews of the hydrological outlook at Kariba to inform on the continued availability of water and the need, if any, for adjustments in the amount allocated for power generation at Kariba,” Munodawafa said.
“The quarterly reviews may result in a downward or upward adjustment in the allocation made to Kariba North and South Bank power stations for their respective generation operations.
“Accordingly, the 3BCM increase in water allocation was informed by hydrological simulations carried out by the authority that considered the obtaining stored usable water and power generation levels at the two Kariba power stations, as well as the normal to above normal rainfall projections made by the respective meteorological departments of the Republics of Zambia and Zimbabwe for the 2021/2022 rainfall season.”
Kariba is designed to operate between levels of 475.50m and 488.50m (with 0.70m freeboard) for hydropower generation.
As of November 1, the authority said the lake levels had been dropping steadily, closing the period under review at 497.97m (31.59% usable storage) compared to 479.11m (25.35% usable storage) recorded on the same date last year.
Munodawafa said the authority will continue to closely monitor the hydrological outlook at Kariba and make necessary adjustments, where necessary, to ensure the sustainable operation of the Kariba reservoir going into 2022.