The Kariba Dam

The Kariba Dam is the next name on the list of the biggest hydropower plants in Africa. The Kariba Dam, which is located between Zimbabwe and Zambia and stands 128 meters tall and 579 meters long, is the world's largest man-made dam.

The dam, which now has a total installed capacity of 1,626 MW, is currently being extended in order to boost its yield. On the north and south sides of the dam, power facilities generate electricity for Zambia and Zimbabwe, respectively. The Zimbabwean south station has been in operation since 1960 and contains six 111 megawatts (149,000 horsepower) generators for a total capacity of 666 megawatts (893,000 hp). Zambia's north station, which has four 150 megawatts (200,000 hp) generators for a total of 600 megawatts (800,000 hp), has been in operation since 1976.

Country: Zambia - Zimbabwe
Construction began: 1955
Opening date: 1959
Electricity generation capacity: 1,626 MW