The total construction cost is estimated at approximately $650,000,000.
Zimbabwe plans to start building a floating solar power plant next year on the largest artificial lake in the world, according to Bloomberg. This refers to Lake Kariba – a vast reservoir on the border with Zambia.
The first phase of the project, with a capacity of 600 megawatts, will begin in the second quarter of 2026. This was announced by the Minister of Information, Jenfan Muswere, in the country's capital, Harare.
The idea of the project is to install solar panels directly on the water's surface. Such stations are called floating because the panels are placed on special platforms and do not occupy land. However, the work will not start on the water. According to the Minister of Agriculture, Anxious Masuka, the initial phase will be deployed on land near the reservoir. This is partly because Lake Kariba is jointly used by Zimbabwe and Zambia, and approval from both countries is required to move to work on the water.
In June, the largest electricity consumers in Zimbabwe announced that they received $4.4 million from the African Export-Import Bank to conduct a feasibility study for the project.
The total construction cost is estimated at approximately $650 million, and it is planned to be completed by 2031, said Masuka.
This project is of particular importance for the country. Zimbabwe regularly faces power outages, and last year the situation worsened significantly due to severe drought. The lack of water has reduced production at the Kariba Dam, which provides about half of the country's electricity.
Currently, the station generates only 550 megawatts with an installed capacity of 1,050 megawatts.
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