ZRA AWARDS TENDER FOR BATOKA HYDROELECTRIC POWER PLANT

The Zambezi River Authority’s (ZRA) Council of Ministers has awarded the tender for the construction of the Batoka hydroelectric power plant to a consortium of General Electric of the United States and Power Construction Corporation of China under a build, operate and transfer funding model.

Originally, the contractor was to have been chosen in September by the council of ministers for energy and finance in Zimbabwe and Zambia. However, a shortage of power affected both Zimbabwe and Zambia, creating an immediate need to award the tender to a company that was ready to handle the construction in order to speed up the process.

A statement on behalf of both governments stressed the need for quick action in order to solve the power shortage aggravated by the 2017-2018 hydrological season that saw very little rainfall in the region. Measures therefore had to be taken to establish water addition and power generation.

The 2400MW Batoka power plant is a collaborative hydroelectric project between Zimbabwe and Zambia that will generate equal amounts of electricity for both nations from the Zambezi River.

The project, which has been under discussion for the past seven years, has shown significant resistance following the 2018 Memorandum of Understanding between Zimbabwean and Zambian presidents.

Both countries are doing everything possible to ensure the project is a total success. So far they have been focusing on feasibility studies to ensure that the project works on accurate and realistic conditions.

Construction of the Batoka hydro electricity scheme is set to begin next year. Both Zimbabwe and Zambia are working on the necessary documentation required before construction.https://constructionreviewonline.com/2019/07/zra-awards-tender-for-the-construction-of-batoka-hydroelectric-power-plant/