After more than 50 years of providing power for the Southern African Region, the Kariba Dam is now in urgent need of rehabilitation to ensure its continued safe operation. A programme of civil works has been prepared, which will take place over the next ten years. This programme takes account of the need to continue operating the dam safely with little or no interruption to the power generation expected. The Dam is owned by the two Governments of Zambia and Zimbabwe and managed by the Zambezi River Authority (ZRA). A total of US$ 296M has been made available by four Cooperating Partners to rehabilitate the dam. This international financing includes grants and loans from the African Development Bank, the European Union, the Government of Sweden, and the World Bank. The European Union contribution is a grant of €64 million.

Specifically, the rehabilitation works for the reshaping of the plunge pool will include the construction of a cofferdam, the consequent reshaping of the dam's plunge pool in the dry through excavation operations using the drill and blast method, the removal of spoil to designated dumpsites, the installation of required monitoring instrumentation, construction of a concrete fault protection slab and related works, construction of a new permanent access road behind the north bank powerhouse outlets and associated studies, designs and monitoring activities.

Total Cost (EUR): 56 669 101,62

EU contracted amount (EUR): 56 669 101,62

Duration: May 2017 - April 2021

Implementing organisation: RAZEL SAS

Funding Instrument: European Development Fund (EDF)

Benefitting zone: Zambia, Zimbabwe