Oliver Kazunga
THE first 150 megawatts (MW) from the 600MW Kariba Solar Park — considered Zimbabwe’s largest solar project — is expected to be fed into the national grid by late next year after the contractor secured the necessary permits, licences and approvals from the Government.
GreenGrid Kariba Solar Park director Mr David Fussel told The Sunday Mail that the company was now preparing to mobilise on site.
A traditional groundbreaking ceremony was held last week.
The project will be delivered in phases over several years.
“The full 600MW will be delivered in phases over several years. The first phase of 150MW is expected to begin supplying electricity to the national grid in late 2027,” said Mr Fussel.
All the technical work for the full 600MW is complete, including geotechnical, hydrological and topographical surveys, as well as feasibility and grid integration studies.
All the required permits and licences are in place, including environmental approval, investment licences and the power generation licence.
The principal commercial contracts — the power purchase agreement, the transmission connection agreement and the long-term lease for the site — have already been signed.
The timeline for the project, however, will depend on global supply chains.
Lead times for large transformers now exceed 12 months because of strong worldwide demand for power infrastructure, driven by the rapid growth of artificial intelligence (AI) data centres and geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.
Once operational, the solar park will fundamentally change power generation from Kariba.
It is envisaged that 600MW of solar power will be supplied during daylight hours, while hydropower will be strategically deployed during the evening peak, effectively conserving water from the reservoir.
Over the past few years, Zimbabwe’s power supplies from Kariba have largely been strained by climate change, which has resulted in normal to below-normal rains.
The Zambezi River Authority (ZRA) — the binational body managing the shared reservoir on behalf of Zimbabwe and Zambia — last week announced that the Zimbabwe Power Company (ZPC) had been allocated 11,5 billion cubic metres (BCM) of water for power generation in 2027, representing a steep 36,1 percent decrease compared to the 18 BCM allocated to Zimbabwe for 2026.
The decision to trim water allocations for 2027 is driven by climate forecasts originating from the 33rd Southern African Regional Climate Outlook Forum (SARCOF-33) held in Swakopmund, Namibia, in late August 2026.
Climate experts warn that developing El Niño conditions in the tropical Pacific Ocean are expected to intensify, bringing below-normal rainfall to much of Zimbabwe and southern Zambia throughout the October 2026 to March 2027 rainy season.
“The project won’t change this year’s water allocation for Kariba, but it is designed to address exactly this kind of situation in future.
The saved water can then be used when it is most valuable,” said Mr Fussel.
“Lake Kariba is used as its battery. If climate change continues to lower water levels, the project has flexibility to add battery storage.”
An inter-ministerial committee appointed by President Mnangagwa to oversee the development, Mr Fussel said, had been instrumental in smoothening implementation of the
project.
It is believed that supplies from the solar park will significantly boost clean energy and reliable capacity, cut the need for power imports and support the country’s development aspirations, while enhancing Kariba’s resilience to drought and climate change.
