The proposed power station will be located on the Zambezi River, approximately, downstream of Victoria Falls, straddling the international border between Zambia and Zimbabwe.
Overview
Currently, the proposal is for two power plants, each with an installed capacity of ; one on the Zambian side and another on the Zimbabwean side. The dam to supply the reservoir with water will be a tall arch-gravity type. The project is being implemented by the Zambezi River Authority, a bi-national organisation mandated to operate, monitor and maintain the Kariba Dam Complex as well as exploit the full potential of the Zambezi River.
Community Resistance
Like in the proposal in the 1990s that was stopped, and now again, stakeholders and the local community are strongly opposed to the dam's construction. The tourism industry generated by the current Batoka Gorge, including its whitewater rafting, employs thousands of local individuals both directly and indirectly, and has been acknowledged as the 3rd largest contributor to Zambia's economy. While destroying the tourism industry, the dam will also not accomplish its desired effect and not provide electricity to the rural, local population, as it will be exported to the Southern African Power Pool. Other than the economy, the local community is also concerned about the environment. According to the January 26, 2015 article published in Zambesia, the dam could cause the river to back-up to within 650 meters of the Victoria Falls, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Contrary to the UNESCOWorld Heritage Site restrictions, this would be a direct violation of the agreed-upon 12 km boundary preservation below the Falls. Consequently, both Zimbabwe and Zambia would be in direct violation of their international legal obligations pursuant to the Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage. In other words, if the dam proposal moves forward, the deleterious effect is tantamount to the Victoria Falls becoming a "World Heritage in Danger".
Construction costs
As of July 2018, the projected cost of development was estimated at US$4.5 billion. General Electric Africa has expressed interest in developing this power station under the design-build-operate-transfer arrangement, but with ownership reverting to Zambia and Zimbabwe, after the developers have recovered their investment. In June 2019, Bloomberg News reported that the construction contract had been awarded to a consortium comprising General Electric of the United States and Power Construction Corporation of China.
