Tanzania to spend US$1.9 billion on electricity network upgrade
Tanzania will spend US$1.9 billion to upgrade its power transmission and distribution network as part of plans to end electricity outages.
The project will “upgrade power sub-stations and transmission lines across the country to stabilize power supply,” Energy Ministry January Makamba said in a presentation to parliament. He did not disclose how the government will finance the project.
The gas-rich East African nation is struggling with erratic power supply, which Makamba attributed to a legacy failure to invest at least 10% of the utility’s annual revenues in repair and maintenance.
He said state-run Tanzania Electric Supply Co. posted annual revenues of 1.8 trillion shillings (US$778 million) last year, almost 6% more than the previous year. Only a tiny fraction of the income was spent on repair and maintenance of the grid, he said.
More than half of Tanzania’s current output of around 1,600 megawatts is from gas-fired power plants. The nation is also developing a US$3 billion hydropower station for 2,115 megawatts that could transform it into an electricity exporter to neighboring countries.
