Kariba Dam North - Hydropower - Zambian Copperbelt (sitios de interés)
Descripción del sitio
KARIBA NORTH BANK POWER STATION (KNBPS)
Installed Capacity: 4 x 150MW (900MW?)
Project: additional 360MW proposed
KNBPS station is the second largest power station with an installed capacity of 600MW consisting of 4 generators of 150MW each. Each generator feeds one three-phase generator-transformer. The power station is located on the north bank of Kariba Dam on the Zambezi River and has been in operation since 1977. On the South bank of the Zambezi River in Zimbabwe there is another power station of similar size belonging to ZESA.
Funding history:
Northern Rhodesian copper played a crucial role in the economy of the Federation. Even after a dramatic fall in the price of copper during 1956, the industry continued to contribute over fifty percent of the value of the Federation’s exports.12 This dominance led the Federal government to approach Anglo and RST for assistance on when it was struggling to provide the necessary finance for the construction of the Kariba Dam during December 1955. Both copper companies were counting on an increased and more reliable power supply, and so it was in their interests for the dam to be completed on schedule. At the meeting, the Federal government was represented by its prime minister, Lord Malvern, and his deputy Roy Welensky. Ronald Prain, RST’s chairman and Harry Oppenheimer, the managing director of Anglo American, represented the copper industry. Malvern revealed that the shortfall in financing the scheme would be £20 million over the following five year period, and that the railways would require a further £10 million.13 He suggested Anglo and RST should cover this shortfall in the form of loans. Should the companies not agree to this, Malvern proposed instigating an export tax on copper to the value of fifty percent of all profits.
Both RST and Anglo American were in agreement that this would ‘have disastrous effects on the credit of the country’, furthermore it would ‘kill new investment’ and offer no incentive for the companies to keep production costs low.14 As a result of these ‘unnecessary strong-armed tactics’, as Prain later recalled, the companies agreed to provide £10 million each towards financing the Kariba project, and agreed to accept a surcharge on the power produced by Kariba until a further £10 million had been paid.15 To this was added a loan of £4 million from the BSA Company which brought the total amount invested in Kariba to £34 million.16 The tactics adopted by the Federal government illustrates the confidence with which it viewed its position in 1955. As will be demonstrated below, the pressure on the Federal economy brought about by the loss of copper revenue altered the balance of power. While in 1955 it was possible for the government to threaten the copper companies in order to secure their co-operation, this situation would soon change.
Both RST and Anglo American were in agreement that this would ‘have disastrous effects on the credit of the country’, furthermore it would ‘kill new investment’ and offer no incentive for the companies to keep production costs low.14 As a result of these ‘unnecessary strong-armed tactics’, as Prain later recalled, the companies agreed to provide £10 million each towards financing the Kariba project, and agreed to accept a surcharge on the power produced by Kariba until a further £10 million had been paid.15 To this was added a loan of £4 million from the BSA Company which brought the total amount invested in Kariba to £34 million.16 The tactics adopted by the Federal government illustrates the confidence with which it viewed its position in 1955. As will be demonstrated below, the pressure on the Federal economy brought about by the loss of copper revenue altered the balance of power. While in 1955 it was possible for the government to threaten the copper companies in order to secure their co-operation, this situation would soon change.
Kariba Dam Case Study (2000) 186p
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