Through interconnection projects, Tanzania is set to benefit from trading power, which is currently exploited by other member states within the Southern Development Community (SADC).
Dr Juliana Pallangyo, the deputy permanent secretary in the ministry of energy and minerals announced the news during a one day Southern Africa Power Pool (SAPP) executive committee meeting, held in Dar es Salaam.
Angola, Malawi and Tanzania are the only SADC member states currently not inter-connected via SAPP
The media reported that Tanzania will receive power from two projects; Iringa-Shinyanga to be interconnected with the Kenyan grid, and the Iringa-Mbeya, which will be connected to Zambia. These projects are scheduled for completion in 2018 and 2019, respectively.
Pallangyo highlighted that Tanzania has been missing out on a chance to trade power with other SADC member countries due to not being interconnected.
SADC member countries
Since the establishment of the SAPP in 1995, Tanzania, Angola and Malawi are the only SADC member states that are not inter-connected.
Pallangyo explained that apart from trading power by being inter-connected to SAPP, a country also has the advantage of relying on power from other countries during a crisis.
“We are fully committed to the implementation of Zambia-Tanzania interconnector that would see our country connected and benefit from SAPP,” she said.
Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited (Tanesco) acting managing director Decklan Mhaiki, highlighted that due to a lack of funds, the country has for many years had to suspended inter-connecting power projects.
“But now funds for Iringa-Shinyanga-to-Kenya have been secured and construction will commence anytime, while the Tanzania-Zambia project is currently under feasibility study; the World Bank and Bank of France have shown interests to fund the implementation of the projects,” he said.
SAPP chairman Josh Chifamba commented: “Tanzania is potentially in good position in the energy sector with the ongoing gas discoveries, which will be used to generate electricity.”
Source: ESI Africa
