Kariba Dam wall works on schedule
THE Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) says it has recorded steady progress on the Kariba Dam wall rehabilitation project with the plunge pool currently in the implementation phase while the spillway refurbishment works are under procurement.
This is according to a statement issued to the media by ZRA public relations and communication Manager Elizabeth Karonga.
She started that recently the authority hosted the 6th technical Joint Mission of multiple stakeholders directly involved in the implementation of the $294 million Kariba Dam Rehabilitation Project (KDRP) in Siavonga to review progress being made by the contactor Razel Bec of France
Karonga stated that the purpose of a joint mission of Stakeholder was to monitor the implementation of the KDRP and provide professional scrutiny and technical guidance from some of the world’s top experts in the technical fields related to the project to ensure it complies with international dam safety standards.
She stated that during the review meeting held at Kariba inns in Siavonga ZRA chief executive officer Munyaradzi Munodawafa reiterated the importance of the rehabilitation works on Kariba dam.
He said the KDRP which would contribute to the improved performance and longevity of the dam would take another eight years and is expected to be completed in 2025, according to the current project schedule.
She said the Joint Mission was attended by members of the panel of experts who provide technical guidance and advice in the areas of engineering, concrete technology, hydrology and the social and environmental aspects of infrastructure projects, among others.
He explained that the project financiers; the National Authorizing Office of the European Development Fund also attended the Siavonga meeting.
Karonga said others on the Joint Mission are the contracting party for the plunge pool works; Stucky Ltd, the consulting engineers providing technical services and supervising the KDRP works; Tractebel, consulting engineers and long-term advisors to the ZRA; Razel-BEC, the contractors carrying out the plunge pool works, and the Zambian and Zimbabwean power utilities companies Zesco and Zesa of Zimbabwe.
The KDRP is jointly funded by the European Union, World Bank, African Development Bank, the Swedish government and the Zambezi River Authority on behalf of the Governments of Zambia and Zimbabwe.
The plunge pool reshaping is in the implementation phase following the appointment of the contractor, Razel-BEC, earlier this year. Site establishment which includes construction of the site offices, accommodation, workshops is underway while the construction of the access road to the plunge pool is imminent following agreement on the proposed route of the road.
For over 50 years the Kariba Dam has been central to regional energy security and economic development.