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ZESCO has assured that electricity generation at the Kariba North Bank Power Station will remain stable enough to support the current daily load-shedding schedule of seven hours, despite ongoing water rationing.
The assurance was made during a stakeholder and media tour of the power facility on Monday, where ZESCO Senior Engineer, Kenney Singogo, briefed participants on the station’s operational status and water management strategy.
According to a statement issued in Lusaka on Tuesday by Ministry of Energy Principal Public Relations Officer, Bob Sianjalika, the tour aimed to help stakeholders understand why load-shedding has continued—albeit with reduced hours—despite the good rainfall recorded during the 2024–2025 rainy season.
It highlighted the delicate balance between rainfall, inflows, and electricity generation, underscoring the need for sustainable water use.
During the tour, Singogo reported that water levels in Lake Kariba were still rising and are expected to continue doing so until August.
He said the Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) had allocated ZESCO 13.5 billion cubic metres of water for 2025, which must be carefully managed to last until the next rainy season, anticipated toward the end of the year.
“Failure to manage this allocation responsibly could disrupt the current load-shedding plan and result in more frequent outages, similar to what we experienced at the end of 2024,” Singogo cautioned.
He explained that despite the relatively good rains, water inflows into Lake Kariba have not been sufficient to support full-capacity generation.
The Kariba North Bank Power Station, with an installed capacity of 1,080 megawatts, is currently operating at reduced output, with some turbines shut down due to limited water availability.
Singogo added that ZESCO’s hydropower challenges have reinforced the need to diversify its energy portfolio.
The company reports that it is now accelerating investments in solar energy to strengthen energy security and reduce dependence on fluctuating water levels.
“The water levels are rising steadily, which is encouraging. However, unless we receive exceptionally high rainfall, it is unlikely the reservoir will reach full capacity this year,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Zambezi River Authority remains optimistic that both ZESCO and the Zimbabwe Power Company will adhere to their water usage limits to safeguard the shared resource.
“We are confident that ZESCO and the Zimbabwe Power Company will remain within their prescribed limits,” said ZRA Public Relations and Communications Manager Selusiwe Moyo.
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