World’s largest man-made dam weighs using floating solar panels

The authorities in charge of the world’s largest man-made lake are considering using floating solar panels to generate power after plummeting water levels deepened power outages in Zambia and Zimbabwe. Adding photovoltaic capacity to the surface of the Kariba Dam the water would supplement the more than 2 100 MW of hydropower capacity, Munyaradzi Munodawafa, chief executive officer of the Zambezi River Authority, which manages the dam, said in an interview. A similar proposal is being considered for the nearby Batoka Gorge, where another hydro project is being developed, he said.