Zambezi River Basin

Energy About 74 per cent of the total energy needs of the eight basin states come from biomass (Chenje 2000). Wood fuel energy is used mostly for domestic purposes, including cooking and lighting. There are some rural industries that consume significant amounts of firewood and these include brick-making, lime production, fish smoking, beer brewing, and the drying of

coffee, tea and tobacco. Renewable electricity sources such as hydropower and non-renewable sources such as thermal power, petroleum and natural gas are available in the basin. New technologies such as wind and solar energy are gaining prominence (SARDC 2009).

The hydropower potential of the Zambezi River Basin is estimated at 20 000 megawatts (MW)

Zambezi River Basin dams and hydropower facilities

Rumakali

Songwe, 1 and 2

TANZANIA

DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO

Lower Fufu

ANGOLA

Z a m b e z i

L u n g u e B u n g o

MALAWI

L u a n g w a

K a b o m p o

Cahora Bassa

Cahora Bassa 2

C u a n d o

K a f u e

Kafue Gorge Upper

Kholombizo

Kafue Gorge Lower

ZAMBIA

Nkula Falls Edzani

Itezhi Tezhi

Kapichira 2

Kapichira I

Kariba North

Kariba South

Z a m b e z i

M a z o e

Mphanda Nkuwa

Batoka Gorge

Dam

S h i r e

Kariba

Hydroelectric power plant

NAMIBIA

Victoria Falls

S h a n g a n i

Plant capacity Megawatt

MOZAMBIQUE

BOTSWANA

2 000 1 000 600 100

Existing Planned In expansion

ZIMBABWE

Sources: World Bank 2010. Zambezi River Basin: A multi-sector investment opportunities analysis. Volume 4 – Modeling, Analysis and Input Data. World Bank Water Resources Management Africa Region. Washington DC

Figure 1.8

© Admire Ndhlovu

Kapichira hydropower station in Malawi generates 64 MW of electricity, and there are plans to double the output.

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