The Tanzanian government and organizations such as Japan International Cooperation Agency, are collaborating in exploratory research to locate geothermal energy around Lake Natron (northwest of Arusha).
Eliakim Maswi, Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Energy and Minerals, has stated that while the Kenyan side of Lake Natron has successful power plants, the Tanzanian side has a high potential for geothermal energy do to numerous geysers and underwater hot springs in the area.
Geothermal energy has high economic and environmental benefits, and it is estimated that Tanzania has over 650 megawatts in its earthly reservoirs.
Kenya is the largest producer of geothermal energy in Africa; however it took the country 25 years to develop its industry while Tanzania will take advantage of the large leaps in technological progress that have been made over the past two decades by developing its geothermal programs on a fast track.
Currently Tanzania relies on hydropower to cope with its electrical shortages, but due to reoccurring water shortages, droughts, and growing consumption of energy, this is no longer reliable option.
Scientists and investors working in geothermal exploration are hopeful that production of geothermal energy in Tanzania will be possible by the end of 2014.
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