Stakeholders from across the energy sector will gather at the Africa Energy Forum in Cape Town, South Africa for a market sounding session on the proposed 2.4GW Batoka Gorge hydroelectric scheme, one of Southern Africa’s largest planned hydropower projects.
The Zambezi River Authority (ZRA), together with the governments of Zambia and Zimbabwe and implementing partners ZESCO Limited and ZESA Holdings, will host a market sounding session for the proposed Batoka Gorge hydroelectric scheme during the Africa Energy Forum in Cape Town on 17 June 2026.
The 2400MW Batoka Gorge project is one of the largest hydropower schemes planned in Southern Africa. The project is being jointly developed by Zambia and Zimbabwe and is intended to strengthen regional energy security, support industrial development and improve power sector resilience.
According to the ZRA, the market sounding exercise forms part of preparations for the project’s formal procurement process. Feedback gathered during the session will be used to help shape the project’s bankability, delivery structure and implementation framework.
The event is expected to bring together developers, investors, lenders, development finance institutions, export credit agencies and engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) contractors.
Discussions will focus on project structuring, the procurement roadmap, financing requirements and investment opportunities.
The Batoka Gorge scheme has been identified as a strategic infrastructure project by a number of regional and continental institutions, including the African Union Development Agency-New Partnership for Africa’s Development (AUDA-NEPAD), the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Southern African Development Community (SADC) and the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP).
The project is expected to play a significant role in expanding renewable electricity generation capacity in Southern Africa and supporting regional power market integration.
