By OLIVER SAMBOKO
WATER levels at Kariba Dam have reached 479.38m above the minimum level required for power generation at the country’s biggest power station in Siavonga.
Kariba North Bank Power Station is Zambia’s largest power station, with capacity to produce 1 050MW, but is currently generating electricity at curtailed level due to critically low water levels following the drought experienced in the catchment area of the dam’s main feeder river
The Kariba Lake is designed to operate between levels 475.50m and 488.50m with 0.70m freeboard) for hydropower generation.
According to latest water readings, obtained by the Daily Nation from the Zambezi River Authority (ZRA), the Lake level has continued rising steadily from its lowest at below 8 percent last December to close at 479.38m translated to 27.31% usable storage) on April 30 2020. Last year on the same date, the Lake level was higher at 480.27m
Concerns have been raising from the public on why the country is still experiencing load shedding despite above normal rainful recorded in the upper Zambezi River the main supplier of water to Kariba north Bank Power Station.
Last week an energy expert, Victor Hazemba called on ZRA to allocate more water for power generation to Zesco to help the country reduce load shedding to domestic and commercial consumers.
This year, Zesco has only been allocated 11 billion cubic litters water for power generation which will soon deplete according to the utility company as 25 percent had already been used.
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