The Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) has completed critical quality checks on Floodgate 1 of the Kariba Dam, marking a major step in the ongoing $294 million rehabilitation program aimed at securing the structural integrity of the hydropower facility shared by Zimbabwe and Zambia.
The tests, conducted as part of the project’s commissioning phase, involved releasing 1,500 cubic meters of water from the dam, equivalent to 30 seconds of power generation output. The Kariba Dam, operational since 1959, provides over half of Zimbabwe’s and Zambia’s electricity and supports regional economic stability. Rehabilitation work began in 2019 to address erosion and structural risks identified in a 2015 assessment.
ZRA planning officer Munesushe Mudzi said the tests are crucial in ensuring the dam’s stability and efficiency.
“We have done a test for source number 1, which is gate number 1,” he said.
“This is part of the quality checks that we do in the commissioning process. And this is not spilling, what we are just doing is doing the quality checks for the activities that we have been doing for the past five years.
“And it’s part of the quality checks that we do in the commissioning process that we are doing on the rehabilitation programme.”
The rehabilitation programme aims to address the dam’s structural integrity and safety concerns, ensuring the continued benefits of hydroelectric power generation for the region.
The successful completion of the quality checks on Floodgate 1 is a positive step towards the program’s objectives.
Mudzi said the ZRA’s efforts are critical in maintaining the dam’s integrity and ensuring the continued benefits of hydroelectric power generation for the region.
