The Director-General of the Rural Energy Agency (REA), Eng. Hassan Saidy recently disclosed that rural access to electricity has increased to 69.6% from 2% enabling it to exceed the target of 50% by 2020.
Going into details, in a press conference he explained that since the commencement of the work of the Rural Energy Agency (REA) in 2007, the agency has facilitated the construction and expansion of 38,296 km of 33 kilowatts of power systems and the construction of 35,250 km of low power systems.
Other achievements include installing 725 biogas plants in different rural areas, and installing electricity systems to 831 civil servants households in the education and health sector in Shinyanga, Kigoma, Kagera, Pwani, Lindi, Mtwara, Ruvuma, and Tabora regions.
All in all, REA has achieved a total of 716,847 customers connected to electricity at a cost of TZS 2,661.93 billion.
Access to electricity also means that rural populations can develop agro-processing and small to medium industries in upcountry regions.
Tanzania Rural Energy Agency
REA is an autonomous body under Tanzania’s Ministry of Energy and Minerals. Its main role is to promote and facilitate improved access to modern energy services in rural areas of mainland Tanzania, where approximately 70% of the 50m population lives.
REA aims to give electricity access to 75% of rural Tanzania by 2025 and achieve full coverage by 2030.
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