During the second Sub-Saharan Africa Solar Summit 2015 (SSA Solar) that took place in Dar es Salaam on 23rd-24th June, the Tanzania Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority (EWURA) announced that a new and competitive tender system for solar (photovoltaic) and wind power projects is being implemented.
The new tender system will help the Tanzania Electric Supply Company (TANESCO) and the Rural Energy Authority (REA) to manage a wider range of options before choosing the best bid, explained EWURA’s Director of Electricity, Eng. Anastas Mbawala.
During the summit, topics such as solar energy road maps, solar energy storage, and solar power reliability and sustainability were covered.
According to the World Bank, the electric power consumption in Tanzania has increased from 58 Kwh in the year 2000, to 92 Kwh per capita as the most recent data available indicates.
With a population of over 49 million, the Tanzanian demand for electricity is estimated in 4,508,000,000 Kwh-year, against a total yearly mixed production of 3,110,436,062 Kwh via hydro and thermal power plants.
With the new proposal solar and wind is expected to participate in the Tanzania energy mix up to 12% by the end of 2015.
