$4.2BN Power Play: Zambia and Zimbabwe Partner on Batoka Gorge Hydropower Project

The Zambezi River Authority's Council of Ministers has approved a $220 million equity contribution from both the Zimbabwean and Zambian governments to kickstart a $4.2 billion Batoka Gorge Hydro-Electric project along the Zambezi River.

The Zambezi River Authority, which manages the Kariba Dam and the sustainable harnessing of the Zambezi River’s water resources, is governed by a Council of Ministers (COM) consisting of four members. Two are ministers in Zambia's government, and two are ministers in Zimbabwe's government.

Feasibility studies are underway, and a public-private partnership model is being explored to implement the Batoka Gorge Hydro-Electric Scheme (BGHES) project, which aims to boost energy production and reduce power shortages in both countries. The project involves constructing a 2,400 MW hydropower plant on the Zambezi River.

Currently, Zambia and Zimbabwe are experiencing an electricity crisis, as the Kariba Dam, which generates most of the electricity for the two countries, is still recovering from a devastating 2024 El Niño-induced drought. Water levels in the dam remain too low to generate sufficient hydroelectricity for both countries.

The El Niño drought, the worst in over 4 decades, wiped out crops, killed millions of livestock, and reduced water levels in major dams and rivers in many countries in Southern Africa, resulting in some residential areas in Zimbabwe and Zambia going for more than 20 hours a day without electricity. Climate change droughts have become more frequent and devastating over the past two decades. Businesses in both countries have closed due to electricity shortages, with small businesses hit hardest. In Zimbabwe’s city of Mutare, the once bustling home industries have now gone quiet.

In a communiqué issued by the Zambezi River Authority Council of Ministers following its 43rd meeting on December 29, 2025, in Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, the council noted progress on the energy project.

“Whilst COM noted the progress, it directed that the timelines for the implementation of the project be revised as agreed by the two Heads of State [Zimbabwe President Emmerson Mnangagwa and Zambian counterpart Hakainde Hichilema] at the Bi-National Commission meeting held in Zimbabwe in November 2025 with a view to accelerating the implementation of the project,” the Council of Ministers says in a statement.

The Council of Ministers reaffirmed its commitment to a public-private partnership model and approved a $220 million equity contribution from each government, including the exploration of equity partnerships to enhance bankability.

“This allocation will be for the BGHES dam construction for the budget cycle beginning 2026," the Council of Ministers adds.

A resource mobilization committee, whose objective is to raise funds for the publicly owned dam infrastructure component of the project, will be led by the ministers responsible for finance in Zimbabwe and Zambia.

The proposed Batoka Gorge Hydro-Electric Scheme is located on the Zambezi River about 47 kilometers downstream of Victoria Falls. It was first conceived in 1972, following a comprehensive study commissioned by the predecessor of the Zambezi River Authority, the Central African Power Corporation. Over the past decades, the energy project has continued to evolve, incorporating modern engineering practices and sustainability considerations to ensure it meets the highest standards of efficiency and environmental stewardship.

However, Zimbabwe energy expert Eddie Cross remains skeptical about the viability and success of the Batoka Gorge Hydro-Electric project. Cross tells The Energy Pioneer that when the Batoka Gorge Hydro-Electric Scheme project was originally proposed, the cost of the dam and power plant was estimated at US$7 billion.

Cross is currently the chairman of Green Hybrid Power and the Intensive Energy Users Group, a consortium of mining and industrial firms spearheading the Kariba floating solar energy project.

“A Zambian investigation found substantial inflation of costs, and the project was cancelled. It is a poor site located in the gorge below the falls. It depends on river flow, and the amount of power generated will be dependent on river flow – peak in March and very low in October. This will make it expensive to operate,” says Cross, who is also a former legislator and advisor to the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe.

Cross adds that in the lower Zambezi, Mozambique has several sites that are much more productive because the river flow is boosted by several rivers, such as Kafue, Luangwa, and Shiri, and the two major dams, Kariba and Cahora Bassa, regulate flow.

“These sites could generate up to 6000 megawatts at low costs and are a much better option,” he says.

Meanwhile, progress is being made on the Devils Gorge Hydro-Electric Scheme and the Kariba Floating Solar PV Project.

The Devils Gorge Hydro-Electric Scheme (DGHES), the Zambezi River Authority's Council of Ministers says, is undergoing prefeasibility studies by Tractebel Engineering, which have delivered the inception report, environmental and social screening report, and options assessment report.

At the same time, progress continues on the Kariba Floating Solar PV Project, including the African Development Bank's completion of consultant evaluations and the appointment of a joint-venture consortium to conduct feasibility studies. The 600 MW floating solar PV power plant on Lake Kariba will be implemented in three phases, starting with 150 MW in the second quarter of this year.

However, with millions of Zambians and Zimbabweans enduring prolonged electricity outages, the Batoka Gorge Hydro-Electric project offers hope to many. However, given the project's high cost, it remains to be seen whether it will come to fruition; time will tell.