South Korea to Open Energy Center in Tanzania in 2017

The Government of South Korea plans to open a center for renewable energy technology in Arusha, Tanzania in 2017.

According to local media, the announcement was made by Juliana Pallangyo, Deputy Permanent Secretary in Tanzania’s Ministry of Energy and Minerals in Dar es Salaam on December 2nd, 2016.

The center, aimed at energy development, will be situated at the Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology in Arusha.

In November 2016, Tanzania secured USD50m in concessional loans from the Government of South Korea the construction of power transmissions grids, which will be jointly developed with the African Development Bank (AfDB).

The funds will be provided through the Korea Exim Bank’s Economic Cooperation Development Fund (EDCF), established by the Korean Government in 1987 to assist developing countries through the provision of long-term, low-interest credit.

“More recently, there is an increasing demand for infrastructure development in sub-Saharan African countries thanks to the end of civil wars and stable governance. It is also expected that the middle-income bracket will gradually grow larger. These factors combined are giving reason for Korean companies to look to Africa as a new land of opportunities,” Korea Exim Bank notes.

Moreover, the South Korean Embassy in Tanzania indicates that Tanzania has been selected as one of Korea’s priority partner countries for Official Development Assistance (ODA) starting 2016 “and as a result, the Embassy looks forward to enhanced mutual cooperation with Tanzania through tailored assistance.”