GE, Power China win contract for dam on Zambia, Zimbabwe border

A consortium led by General Electric and Power Construction Corporation of China was officially awarded a contract for the Batoka Gorge Hydro Electric Scheme, which involves building a 2400 megawatt power station on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe, the Zambezi River Authority said.

Both Zambia and Zimbabwe are facing a power crisis as a drought has reduced water levels to 27% at Lake Kariba, the world’s largest man-made reservoir, a key power source for the two countries.

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"As a result of the abnormal rainfall pattern of the current season, coupled with uncertainty associated with future rainfall patterns for the region, factors of which spell out the need to fast track measures to establish additional water storage and power generation infrastructure, there was therefore need for the two governments to ensure that the implementation of the Batoka Gorge Hydro Electric Scheme was expedited," the authority said in an emailed statement.