The Kariba Dam is a double curvature concrete arch dam in the Kariba Gorge of the Zambezi river basin between Zambia and Zimbabwe. The dam stands tall and long. The dam forms Lake Kariba, which extends for and holds of water.
The dam was constructed on the orders of the Government of the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, a 'federal colony' within the British Empire. The double curvature concrete arch dam was designed by Coyne et Bellier and constructed between 1955 and 1959 by Impresit of Italy at a cost of 135,000,000forthefirststagewithonlytheKaribaSouthpowercavern.FinalconstructionandtheadditionoftheKaribaNorthPowercavernbyMitchellConstructionwasnotcompleteduntil1977duetolargelypoliticalproblemsforatotalcostof480,000,000. During construction, 86 construction workers lost their lives.
The dam was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother on 17 May 1960.
The Kariba Dam supplies of electricity to parts of both Zambia (the Copperbelt) and Zimbabwe and generates per annum. Each country has its own power station on the north and south bank of the dam respectively. The south station belonging to Zimbabwe has been in operation since 1960 and had six generators of capacity each for a total of .
On November 11, 2013 it was announced by Zimbabwe's Finance Minister, Patrick Chinamasa that capacity at the Zimbabwean (South) Kariba hydropower station would be increased by 300 megawatts. The cost of upgrading the facility has been supported by a 319mloanfromChina.ThedealisaclearexampleofZimbabwe′s"LookEast"policy,whichwasadoptedafterfallingoutwithWesternpowers.ConstructionontheKaribaSouthexpansionbeganinmid−2014andwasinitiallyexpectedtobecompletein2019.InMarch2018,presidentEmmersonMnangagwacommissionedthecompletedexpansionofKaribaSouthHydroelectricPowerStation.Theadditionoftwonewturbinesbringscapacityatthisstationto.TheexpansionworkwasdonebySinohydro,atacostofUS533 million.
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