ZAMBEZI RIVER AUTHORITY ALLOCATES 30 BILLION CUBIC METRES OF WATER FOR 2026 POWER GENERATION

 THE Zambezi River Authority has allocated a total of 30 billion cubic metres (BCM) of water for power generation at Lake Kariba for the year 2026.

This allocation will be equally shared between Zesco Limited of Zambia and the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC), with each utility utilising 15 BCM of water.

In a statement, Authority acting chief executive officer Christopher Chisense said the allocation is based on the normal to above-normal rainfall forecast for the 2025/2026 rainy season, as projected by the Southern Africa Climate Outlook Forum (SARCOF-31) and further downscaled by the Meteorological Agencies of Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Mr Chisense clarified that while the Authority allocates water for power generation, it does not generate electricity or manage load distribution.

“Actual power generation outcomes will be communicated by the respective utilities—Zesco Limited in Zambia and the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) in Zimbabwe,” he said.

He further said the Authority will continue to maintain vigilant monitoring of rainfall, inflows, and lake levels through its hydrometric network, which includes 13 monitoring stations across the Kariba catchment.

(Mwebantu, Thursday, 30th October, 2025)