The African Development Bank has issued a tender inviting consulting firms to express their interest in providing consultancy services for a floating solar project at the Kariba Dam, located on the Zambia-Zimbabwe border. The dam, situated at the Lake Kariba reservoir, is a crucial hydroelectric power plant in Zambia.
The selected consultant will conduct feasibility studies for the Kariba site, assessing the financial and technical viability of the project. This includes technical specifications for grid integration and the development of financing and business models for implementing the floating solar array on Lake Kariba.
Maintained by the Zambezi River Authority (ZRA), a bilateral organization owned by Zambia and Zimbabwe, the Kariba Dam project will also require the consultant to evaluate the socioeconomic impacts of the proposed floating solar PV project. This assessment will aid ZRA and other local stakeholders in their decision-making process.
Expressions of interest must be submitted by post no later than June 15.
The tender documents highlight that the floating solar project aims to maximize the hydropower potential of the Kariba Dam complex, increase solar capacity, and enhance the efficiency of the combined hydro/solar system.
According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Zambia had a total solar deployment of 124 MW by the end of 2023, while Zimbabwe had deployed 41 MW of solar by the end of December.
