The Sunday News
Rutendo Nyeve, Sunday News Reporter
THE Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) has maintained the 16 billion cubic metre allocation of water for the year 2024 providing for combined annual average power production of 428 megawatts, shared equally between ZESCO Limited (ZESCO) and Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC).
Giving an update on the hydrological situation of the Kariba catchment at Kariba dam on Wednesday afternoon, ZRA CEO Engineer Munyaradzi Munodawafa said to-date, the Kariba Catchment has recorded below-normal rainfall owing to the persisting effects of El Niño weather conditions globally and over the Southern African region, in particular.
“According to the predictions published by the 28th meeting of the Southern Africa Regional Climate Outlook Forum (SARCOF-28) at the end of January 2024, indications were that the larger part of the Kariba Catchment was likely to receive Normal-To-Below-Normal Rainfall during the peak of the 2023/24 rainy season, that is between February to April 2024. Practically the whole of the Kariba Catchment has received Below-Normal Rainfall and this has been projected to extend to the period between March to May 2024,” said Eng Munodawafa.
As announced in December 2023, based on the rainfall outlook from an ensemble of climate centres of excellence available in Quarter four of 2023, Eng Munodawafa said the Authority allocated a total of 16 Billion Cubic Meters (BCM) of water for power generation operations at Kariba for the year 2024, to be shared equally between the two Kariba Power Generation Utilities; namely, ZESCO Limited (ZESCO) and Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC)/Kariba Hydro Power Company (KHPC).
“Given that the outcome of the rainfall forecast is generally below normal, the authority has maintained the 16 BCM water allocation for the year 2024 providing for combined annual average power production of 428MW, shared equally. The water allocation of 8 BCM per power utility, translates into an average power production of 214 MW per utility to the end of March 2024 when the first quarter 2024 hydrological review falls due as per standing operational framework for Kariba dam reservoir operations. The hydrological review will among other factors take into consideration the actual performance of the 2023/2024 rainfall season and the resulting inflows into the lake over the first quarter of the year 2024. The results of the hydrological simulations could result in an increment, reduction or the keeping of the prevailing 2024 water allocation as is,” said Eng Munodawafa.
He said the authority will continue monitoring the hydrometeorological performance of the Kariba Catchment as evolving under the prevailing El Niño climate conditions and keep the public informed of any new positive or negative developments.
Given that the Kariba inflows are so far below average, with a possibility of registering as one of the lowest on record, the power utilities have been advised to maintain strict adherence to their respective water allocation thresholds to sustain generation to the end of the year.
@nyeve14
