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Message: [QUOTE="Nehanda, post: 24490, member: 2262"] Water in the Kariba Dam rose to 476.39 meters on Monday from 475.94 meters in January. This rise gives hope for better power output at the water power plant. The dam needs water levels between 475.50 and 488.50 meters to make power at Kariba Power Station. The water must rise much more before the plant can produce much power. The most water comes in April, May, and June each year. The future looks good. Weather experts say the area will see normal or more rain than normal. Last March, the Zambezi River Authority set power making at 214 megawatts. The plant can make 1,050 megawatts when full. The Authority runs the Zambezi River and Kariba Dam. Most water comes from one of Africa's biggest rivers. Zimbabwe and nearby areas felt the effects of El Nino last year. This weather pattern brought less rain than normal in late 2023 and early 2024. The Authority said Monday's water level was higher than mid-January. Last year, at this time, the water stood at 477.42 meters. The Authority said heavy rain near the lake raised water levels. They think this will continue until March 2025. Based on rain forecasts, the Authority gave both Zimbabwe and Zambia 27 billion cubic meters of water to share for power in 2024. Last year, they only had 16 billion cubic meters when water hit record lows. With less power from Kariba, Zimbabwe's second biggest power plant, the country faces power cuts. People must wait for power as the system cannot meet their needs. Zimbabwe uses the Hwange Thermal Power Station. This plant can make 1,520 megawatts after adding two new units that add 600 megawatts together. But Hwange has old parts in some units. These break often, making power problems worse. Many things cause power problems in Zimbabwe. Business needs more power. Old power plants need fixes. The power system fails at times. Money expert Wendy Mpofu said more water at Kariba helps make more power. "Zimbabwe's business has grown in recent years. We need steady power to help businesses grow more," she said. The country produces less than 1,500 megawatts of power, sometimes falling under 1,200 megawatts. In cold months, people need about 2,200 megawatts each day. Dr. Sydney Gata leads Zesa Holdings. He said power problems will end when Zimbabwe finishes 18 new power projects, which will produce almost 4,000 megawatts in two years. Plans include a 720-megawatt plant in Hwange that uses waste and coal. Private companies will build other plants. [/QUOTE]

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