The Zambezi River Authority has announced that water levels at Lake Kariba, the primary source of power generation for Zimbabwe and Zambia, have reached critically low levels. The lake’s water storage has decreased to 5.37 billion cubic meters, representing only 8.30% of the live storage available for power generation.
In response to the severe water shortages, Zambia’s electricity supplier, ZESCO, has announced a planned shutdown of its Kariba power station on September 14. Due to the reduced power generation capacity, ZESCO will only provide power for up to 3 hours a day on a rotational basis, prioritizing essential services like healthcare and water supply.
To mitigate the power supply shortfall, ZESCO is installing diesel generators in selected markets to support businesses. The company will closely monitor the situation and issue an updated power rationing schedule once conditions improve and network stability is restored.
