Prime
Tanzania acts over wave of power outages
What you need to know:
- The government has engaged a consultant to evaluate the national power grid and address systemic challenges that have been causing outages in Tanzania and neighbouring countries
Dar es Salaam. The government has engaged a consultant to evaluate the national power grid and address systemic challenges that have been causing outages in Tanzania and neighbouring countries.
Tanzania has in recent months been experiencing intermittent power outages that have, among other consequences, disrupted services on the standard gauge railway.
The latest incident happened last week when a technical hitch on the national grid also triggered a blackout in neighbouring Kenya just days after cross-border electricity trade was launched.
Electricity development assistant commissioner in the Energy ministry Styden Rwabangila told The Citizen that a team of experts is currently working to come up with a lasting solution.
He said the latest outage, which affected the entire national grid, was the result of a billboard falling onto high-voltage power lines after it was toppled by strong winds in Victoria, Dar es Salaam.
Mr Rwabangila confirmed that the consultant has already begun work and is expected to submit a detailed report within five months, proposing corrective measures to enhance grid resilience.
During an inspection of the Kinyerezi substation in Dar es Salaam last month, Energy deputy Judith Kapinga said an upgrade of the power infrastructure was being undertaken in Dar es Salaam.
The work includes the installation of two 75 megavolt-amperes (MVA) transformers, which will increase the Kinyerezi substation’s capacity to 180MVA and ensure reliable power in the city’s Gongolamboto, Mbagala, Kigamboni and other areas.
“These upgrades will eliminate shortages and meet the growing demand for electricity in Dar es Salaam and Coast regions,” Ms Kapinga said.
She added that other measures include the construction of a substation in Mabibo, Dar es Salaam, and improvement of the Kibaha-Ubungo and Ununio-Ubungo power lines.
Tanzania Electric Supply Company (Tanesco) managing director Gissima Nyamo-Hanga said electricity demand in Dar es Salaam and the Coast regions has risen by 16 percent and reached 738 megawatts (MW). This increase has necessitated upgrades to ensure reliable power supply.
In a video circulating on social media, Mr Nyamo-Hanga explained Tanzania’s participation in the East Africa Power Pool (EAPP) initiative, a cooperative effort involving 13 countries with a combined electricity generation capacity of up to 90,000MW.
“This collaboration is meant to facilitate energy trade, allowing countries with surplus power to sell to those having shortfalls, thus promoting regional energy cooperation and stability,” he said.
Mr Nyamo-Hanga added that the 400kV Lemuguru power reception, cooling and transmission station has been completed in Arusha Region.
Tanzania and Kenya have connected their electricity grids through the station, which plays a key role in enhancing electricity availability in the two countries and other EAPP member nations.
“The completion of this station marks a significant milestone in the goal of connecting the electricity grids of Tanzania and Kenya,” he said.
