Reportedly, China Energy Engineering Corporation has proposed the construction of a 1,000 MW floating solar plant on Zimbabwe’s Kariba dam at a cost of around $1 billion.
Zimbabwe is currently generating less than half of its 1,700 MW power demand, due to the underperformance of its ageing coal-fired plants and low water levels which impact generation from its 1,050 MW hydropower plant at Kariba. China Energy’s proposal, made to the state-owned Zimbabwe Power Company and a private consortium of the country’s industrial power consumers, would see about 1.8 million solar panels installed at a cost of $987 million. The work scope of the project includes the design, procurement, construction and commissioning of a 1,000MW AC floating solar farm and 330kV/33kV booster station. It would also include a transmission line from the booster station to a substation in Kariba.