Cabinet approves US$650 million Kariba floating solar project as Gwanda plant remains stalled
The Zimbabwean government has approved a US$650 million floating solar project on Lake Kariba, despite ongoing criticism over the stalled Gwanda Solar Project. The new project aims to boost power generation and climate resilience through a partnership with GreenGrid Energy.
Why it matters
It highlights persistent issues with government project management and transparency in Zimbabwe's energy sector.
CABINET has approved the implementation of a US$650 million floating solar power project on Lake Kariba, despite lingering concerns over the stalled Gwanda Solar Project, which was awarded to late businessman Wicknell Chivayo’s company, Intratrek Zimbabwe.
The latest initiative comes amid questions over the lack of progress on the Gwanda project, which was approved in 2015 as a 100-megawatt solar power plant intended to help ease Zimbabwe’s electricity shortages.
The tender was awarded to Chivayo and his engineering firm, Intratrek Zimbabwe. In April 2016, the Zimbabwe Power Company paid the company US$5 million upfront, but more than a decade after the project was approved, no meaningful progress has been made at the site.
With no clear steps to recover the upfront payment or compel Intratek to deliver, cabinet has now announced plans to implement another major solar power project.
Get smarter about the news
Sign up free for a feed built around what you actually care about, Dive Deeper research on any story, and the full text of every article.
Create free accountAlready have an account? Sign in