Floating solar panels set to augment Zesa, Zesco h...

Floating solar panels set to augment Zesa, Zesco hydro generation

Zim Now Writer

Saddled by incessant power cuts in Zambia and Zimbabwe that are occasioned by low generation capacity due to low water levels at the world’s largest man-made lake - Lake Kariba - are considering using floating solar panels to generate power.

Chief executive officer of the Zambezi River Authority, which manages the dam, Munesu Munodawafa, said adding photovoltaic capacity to the surface of the dam could supplement the over 2 100 megawatts of hydropower capacity.

He added that a similar proposal is being considered for the Batoka Gorge, where another hydro project is being developed.

“There are lots of areas that can provide that solar,” Munodawafa said.

The International Energy Agency says there has been increased interest in floating solar panels in recent years because they avoid competing for land, boost yields because of the cooling effect of water, and have the potential to reduce the evaporation of water bodies.

The experiences of in India and Singapore, where large-scale projects have been planned for reservoirs, have been always provided successful learning cases.

Zimbabwe and Zambia’s power utilities have been unable to meet their countries’ electricity demand owing to a prolonged drought that cut output at Kariba.

The two countries overused the dam at the beginning of the year, when reservoir levels dropped to less than one percent of usable storage. Of late, there have been significant inflows into the lake since January, but the station has also been exposed to the effects of climate change.

Munodawafa also said the lack of inflows into the lake from the Gwayi River has shown that rainfall patterns remain a concern in the country.

“Right now, everyone sees a lot of rain, but on the ground the lower catchment that was supposed to give us more water did not,” he said. “That’s climate change.”

Zesa Holdings and its Zambian counterpart, Zesco, are still to explore the use of the floating solar panels as well as determine the cost of such a project, according to Munodawafa.