TANESCO Plans Tanzania Electricity Sector Improvements

As a result of the recent agreement that was made between the Tanzania National Electric Supply Company (TANESCO) and a partnering Norwegian firm, Statnett, the Tanzania electricity provider is currently preparing to design and implement practical grid development plans, to deal with project risk and to improve its overall communication and business relationships within the country’s electricity sector.

The planned collaboration project between TANESCO and Statnett comes as a result of an earlier request to the Norwegian company that was initiated by TANESCO, which indicated a willingness to improve electricity supply in Tanzania by agreeing to follow international practices and standards.

The inception report for the project, which was approved in September at the first annual meeting between the Tanzanian government and Norway, indicates that the twinning agreement will last for three years, with an optional extension of two years.

Based on the inception report, the ultimate goal of the Norwegian sponsored project is to make visible improvements to the corporate strategy and business development capability of TANESCO.

According to a report by the Daily News Tanzania, in an effort to meet these expectations, Statnett has agreed to sponsor various workshops, trainings and technical assistance programs in an effort to best share its expertise and experiences in energy transmission with its Tanzanian equivalent, TANESCO.

During the first annual meeting concerning the collaboration agreement between TANESCO and Statnett twinning agreement, Mr. Decklan Mhaiki, the General Manager of TANESCO, explained that the public power company is seeking to draw on the experiences of Statnett in order to improve the efficiency of its own operations.

“Electricity is a catalyst for development and we hope to see improvements in our system,” said Mr. Mhaiki, “We want to become profitable, efficient and to make electricity more available to the population.”

Mr. Mhaiki went on to indicate that, because of its vast experience in the field of energy transmission, Statnett will be able to provide TANESCO with valuable knowledge and will also be available to provide advice concerning the managerial and technical processes of TANESCO in an overall effort to increase competency within the company.

According to a recent report, Mr. Anders Moe, who is expected to take over as project manager for Statnett next month, has indicated that the Norwegian firm will work closely with TANESCO in both the development and implementation process of its improvement plan.

“We will work together with TANESCO in developing plans and carry out processes,” said Mr. Moe, “All experience, expertise and key staff from Statnett will be available to TANESCO through this project.”