Historic drought at Kariba Dam triggers severe power shortage in Zambia

One of the worst droughts to ever hit Zambia has resulted in the most severe electricity crisis in the country’s recent history. Water levels at the Kariba Dam have dropped significantly, rendering the hydroelectric turbines unusable.

Zambia sources up to 84% of its electricity from water reservoirs such as lakes and rivers, while only 13% comes from coal, making droughts extremely harmful to the country’s power supply. Contributions from solar, diesel, and heavy fuel oil are even lower, accounting for about 3%.

Approximately 80% of the country’s total power output comes from the Kariba Dam alone, making the declining water levels a serious concern.

Currently, only one of the six turbines on Zambia’s side of the dam is operational, reducing electricity generation to less than 10% of normal capacity.

As of October 7, the Kariba reservoir level was at 476.41 m (1 563.16 feet), with usable live storage for power generation of 6.31%. The Kariba Lake is designed to operate between levels 475.50 and 488.50 m (1 560 – 1 602 feet) for hydropower generation.

The drought, caused by the El Niño weather phenomenon, has drastically reduced the country’s power generation capabilities. Parts of the country often remain without electricity for three or more days, and when power does return, it only stays on for two to three hours at a time.

The crisis was further exacerbated when the country’s only coal-fired power plant, Maamba Energy, was not operating at full capacity for several weeks due to routine maintenance. The plant returned to full operational capacity on October 9.

The drought affecting Zambia since January was declared a natural disaster in February. “I think we stopped receiving the rains as early as February. It’s supposed to rain until April. If we compare the history of this basin, this is the lowest we have received,” said Cephas Museba, an engineer at Zesco, the state-owned power utility company.

The prolonged blackouts have had widespread impacts across the country. Almost every business has been affected, with food items and other perishable goods taking a serious hit due to a lack of storage capabilities. Meats and other food items often spoil quickly, contributing to the cost-of-living crisis.

“The other day I bought relish from a supermarket, but when I opened the package at the dinner table, I realized it was more suitable for our dog,” said Kennedy Gondawe, a reporter for the BBC in the region. “My food budget, already tight because of the cost-of-living crisis, is now even tighter. Buying perishable items in bulk at a cheaper price is completely out of the question as they will just rot,” he added.

Patients in hospitals are struggling to receive essential services due to a lack of electricity. Kidney patients have been especially hard-hit, as dialysis machines remain inoperable for most of the day, receiving power for only an hour or two, often after midnight.

The government has installed large generators in some markets, government offices, and hospitals to provide temporary relief, but the crisis is far from resolved.

The government has been encouraging people to switch to solar energy, but solar panels do not generate sufficient electricity, and most people in the region cannot afford to install them. Boreholes in the region rely on electricity and solar-powered pumps, creating a crisis in water supply and worsening sanitation problems.

Due to the electricity crisis, people have begun switching to gas stoves for cooking. However, gas supplies have become scarce due to high demand, leading many to opt for cheaper alternatives, such as charcoal, for cooking and other activities.

According to Zesco spokesman, Matongo Maumbi, they are investing in more energy sources, including solar plants, to reduce the country’s dependency on hydropower to around 60%. In July, the country’s energy regulator also approved plans to build its second coal-fired power plant.

The neighboring country of Zimbabwe has also lost much of its electricity generation from Kariba and blackouts there are also frequent, but it gets a greater share of its power from coal plants making it less susceptible to the power crisis.

References:

¹ How a mega dam has caused a mega power crisis for Zambia – BBC – October 3, 2024

² The world’s largest man-made lake is being parched by drought, depriving Zambia of its electricity – CBS – October 12, 2024