The Batoka Gorge Hydro Electric Scheme is one of Africa’s most significant renewable energy projects. Located on the Zambezi River about 47 kilometres downstream of Victoria Falls, this project spans the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. It is designed to deliver an installed capacity of 2400 megawatts and generate approximately 10,215 gigawatt hours of clean energy every year, supporting sustainable development and regional power security.

The scheme includes a 181 metre high and 720 metre long RCC gravity arch dam with a crest spillway that can discharge peak floods of 15,500 cubic metres per second. Two surface powerhouses, one on each bank of the river, house vertical Francis turbines rated at 200 megawatts each, ensuring efficient and reliable energy generation.

Tata Consulting Engineers, together with Ernst and Young Advisory Services and Webber Wentzel, provided transaction, financial and legal advisory services to the Zambezi River Authority. Our engineering team introduced key improvements such as increasing turbine generator capacity to reduce the number of units and optimising the layout with a saddle spillway and surface powerhouse design. These innovations will shorten the construction period and bring an additional benefit of about 120 million US dollars through early commissioning.