Kariba Hydroelectric Plant - Zambia, Zimbabwe (1960)

Kariba Dam & Hydroelectric plant is located in the Kariba Gorge of River Zambesi, between Zambia and Zimbabwe. The construction of that infrastructure, the first funded by World Bank in Africa, began in August 1956. It was completed at the end of 1959, six month ahead the scheduled terms, and was inaugurated on May 17 1960. Five international groups took part in the tender, the winner was an Italian consortium. For Salini Impregilo Group, Kariba Dam represents the first major collaboration between companies (Impresit, Girola, Lodigiani), that contributed to its history and that led, over the course of time, to its current configuration. This video shows the natural environment where the infrastructure was displayed, the construction site, preparatory activities and project execution, and workers’ village. Around 10,000 people took part in the construction, including 5,000 local people, trained by Italian technicians and executives. The Kariba Hydroelectric Plant is a double-curvature concrete arch dam and a complex of underground works including penstocks, a power station, a transformer hall, expansion chambers, service tunnels and shafts. The artificial lake created by the dam measures 300 km in length, with a width of 30 km, a height of 128 m and total capacity of 185 million cubic meters. The underground powerhouse houses six units, each with a power generating capacity of 100,000 kW. _______________________________ Employer: Federal Power Board of Rhodesia and Nyasaland Contractor: Impresit Kariba Ltd., formed by the companies Impresit, Girola, Lodigiani, and Torno Engineering: Gibb – Coybe - Sogei _______________________________ Credits Original Title: A great river flows in Kariba A film by Ettore Angioletti Sardi Produttore associato e consulente artistico: Carlo Audisio Music: Teo Usuelli Sound Engineer: Luigi Puri Narration: Carlo Audisio, Guido Rocca Editing: Mario Bonotti