Kariba Floating Solar: 1GW Lifeline

Zimbabwe is planning a 1GW floating solar farm on Lake Kariba, backed by Afreximbank feasibility funding (image source)

By Tendai Moyo, Harare — 29 September 2025

A consortium of Zimbabwean industry groups and international firms is advancing a proposal for a 1,000-megawatt floating solar farm on Lake Kariba to ease chronic power shortages and deliver hard-currency earnings for mining and industry, a project whose preparatory funding and feasibility work is under way this year.

The Most Newsworthy Detail

Project promoters led by the Intensive Energy Users Group (IEUG) have secured a project preparation facility to fund feasibility, bankability studies and transaction advisers as they pursue phased development that could start with a 250–500MW pilot and scale to 1GW to supply heavy industrial users under long-term contracts.

Project Design and Costing

The proposal prepared by China Energy Engineering Group envisages more than 1.8 million photovoltaic panels mounted on 146 modular floating platforms with civil works estimated at about US$186 million and installation at US$801 million, putting the full-scope capital cost near US$1 billion. The figures underscore the technical complexity of a large reservoir-mounted scheme.

Benefits and Technical Notes

Floating photovoltaic systems avoid competition for scarce land, reduce reservoir evaporation and can be sited close to existing transmission from Kariba, lowering grid interconnection costs. Project backers argue the plant would provide firm, daytime power to mining operations and free up hydro capacity for baseload needs, helping to cut carbon emissions and lower reliance on expensive imports.

Eddie Cross, chairman of the IEUG, told local press the group is pursuing a pilot to prove bankability and secure private and development financing for subsequent phases.

“A pilot will prove bankability and attract the capital needed to scale to 1GW.” — IEUG chair Eddie Cross.

Risks, Funding and Governance

Key uncertainties remain: who will fund, own and operate the scheme; how power purchase agreements will be priced; and how cross-border management will be handled given Lake Kariba sits on the Zambia-Zimbabwe border and the Zambezi River Authority oversees shared water resources.

The African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) has provided a US$4.4 million preparation facility to underwrite studies and attract further capital, a signal that multilateral lenders see commercial potential if risks are mitigated.

Local Impact and Industry Reaction

For Zimbabwe’s mining and industrial sectors the project promises lower, more predictable electricity and a route to value addition rather than reliance on spot imports or costly emergency generation. For rural communities around Kariba the construction phase could create jobs, but environmental groups and fisheries stakeholders will press for robust impact assessments to protect livelihoods that depend on the lake.

Background

Zimbabwe’s power system has struggled since drought slashed Kariba hydropower output and Hwange thermal plant breakdowns exposed ageing infrastructure. Peak demand often exceeds available generation, feeding rolling outages that disrupt manufacturing and mining. Floating solar has gained traction globally as a complementary source to hydro, especially on large reservoirs, and international experience shows modular deployment can reduce early-stage technical risk.