- Zimbabwe's Cabinet approved a 600 MW floating solar plant on Lake Kariba worth $650 million, following a presidential directive
- Agriculture Minister Anxious Masuka said the project will complement hydropower and stabilise Zimbabwe's electricity grid
- The approval revives scrutiny of the long-delayed Gwanda Solar Project, linked to Intratrek Zimbabwe and its late founder Wicknell Chivayo
TUKO.co.ke journalist Japhet Ruto has over eight years of experience in financial, business, and technology reporting, offering insights into Kenyan and global economic trends.
Zimbabwe's Cabinet has approved a $650 million floating solar power plant to be built on Lake Kariba, with a planned generation capacity of 600 megawatts.
Source: Twitter
Agriculture and Water Resources Minister Anxious Masuka disclosed the development during a post-Cabinet briefing, saying the government is facilitating private sector investment for the project in response to a presidential directive.
According to Business Insider Africa, the plant is intended to work alongside existing hydropower infrastructure, stabilise electricity output across the national grid, and reduce water consumption during daylight hours by substituting solar generation.
What will Kariba Solar Plant address?
Zimbabwe has faced persistent electricity shortages, worsened in recent years by declining water levels at the Kariba Dam, which have significantly constrained hydropower output.
The new solar initiative represents an effort to diversify the country's energy mix and reduce its dependence on water-reliant generation.
The 600 MW capacity makes it a substantial addition to Zimbabwe's power sector, and the floating design on Lake Kariba is intended to minimise land use while taking advantage of the reservoir's surface area.
Why Gwanda Solar Project drew attention
The Cabinet decision has also drawn renewed attention to the troubled Gwanda Solar Project, a separate 100 MW facility that was awarded to Intratrek Zimbabwe in 2015 under a contract initially valued at around $172.8 million.
In April 2016, the Zimbabwe Power Company advanced approximately $5 million to Intratrek to begin work, but the project became mired in prolonged delays and legal disputes, raising concerns about the use of public funds.
The engineering, procurement and construction cost was subsequently renegotiated from $172 million down to $132 million, though the unresolved $5 million advance payment remains at the centre of the controversy.
When did Chivayo die?
Wicknell Chivayo, who founded Intratrek Zimbabwe, died in a helicopter crash in Zimbabwe on September 30, 2026, together with his wife and other passengers on board.
His death introduced further uncertainty around the future of business ventures connected to his name, including the still-unresolved Gwanda project.
The government's move to back a new large-scale solar scheme on Lake Kariba raises fresh questions about accountability for the original plant, which was never completed as contractually envisaged.
Source: TUKO.co.ke