Tanzania’s state-owned power utility TANESCO has announced plans of becoming an energy exporter over the next two years
The nation has revealed a new energy project that will allow it to export 2,000MW of electricity to neighbouring Kenya by 2018. This US$300mn project will be financed by the African Development Bank.
According to TANESCO deputy executive director Deckian Mhaiki, the power utility is in the final stage of floating a tender for the design and construction of the transmission line to Kenya.
Mhaiki stated that Kenya has expressed a requirement of 1,000MW. The energy will be conveyed through a double transmission line, which will be an extension of 1,600km-long Tanzania main electric line. This line is also expected to provide reliable electricity to mining companies around the Lake Victoria area.
The country is also currently studying the feasibility of a US$500mn project to export power to Zambia. Tanzania also has plans to export to other eastern and southern African countries.
Presently, Tanzania exports 1MW to Kenya but imports 5MW from both Kenya and Zambia, and 9MW from Uganda. According to the French Development Agency, the nation has a capacity of 1,521MW with only 60 per cent of this power available most of the time, as it highly depends on hydroelectric plants.
