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The Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) has said works on the US$294.2 million Kariba Dam Rehabilitation Project (KDRP) are progressing well and currently stand at 67 percent complete.
ZRA Chief Executive Officer, Munyaradzi Munodawafa, said since construction, the Kariba Dam had served Zambia and Zimbabwe for over 60 years and the project comprised of three components.
Munodawafa said this in a statement issued in Lusaka on Monday.
He said the reshaping of the Plunge Pool, refurbishment of the Spillway Upstream Control Facility and Institutional Strengthening, was projected to be completed by the first quarter of 2025.
“Overall, the objective of the KDRP is to address dam safety concerns and restore the structural integrity of the Kariba Dam for its long-term reliability and safety of operation,” Munodawafa said.
He said the Zambezi River Authority was the implementing agent for all the three project components.
Munodawafa said the Plunge Pool Reshaping works contract, which was being undertaken by Razel Bec, a French company, commenced in May 2017.
“Works on this component are now 78 percent complete. The target date for completion of the plunge pool reshaping works is during the second quarter of 2024,” he said.
Munodawafa said in total, 680 million litres of water had been pumped out of the Plunge Pool, leaving the current water level in the pool at 320 meter Above Sea Level (ASL).
He said pumping out of the water, with the resulting lowering of the pool level, paved way for the excavation works using controlled blasting of the exposed rock.
“To date, approximately 137 000 cubic meters of rock has been excavated, out of a total of 300,000 cubic meters. The objective of the excavation is to widen the Plunge Pool in keeping with the technical design,” Munodawafa said.
He added that the contractor’s current focus was on the following activities: bulk excavation of the rock mass around the Plunge Pool Haulage and disposal of the excavated rock at the designated dumpsite.
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