Tanzania Energy Anticipates New Power Plant

According to the Communications Manager for the Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited (Tanesco), Badra Masoud, the recent power interruptions in the Tanzania energy sector could be reduced by April, following the completion of the construction of a new power plant.

This new plant is currently being built next to the existing Independent Power Tanzania Limited (IPTL) plant in Tegeta; construction of the plant is expected to be completed and the plant operational by April, at which point officials say that they expect the concern over the frequent power shortages to lessen.

Ms. Masoud indicated that Tanesco is hopeful that the power generated from this new plant will be able to either eliminate completely or to significantly reduce the power shortages that the country has recently been experiencing.

“I can assure people that the ongoing power interruptions would come down next April,” said Ms. Masoud in a recent report by The Guardian, “after the company had finalized construction work of a new power generating plant adjacent to those of IPTL located at Tegeta in the city.”

Plans to supply the Majohe village in the Ilala district with power had previously been made by Tanesco after finding that the area showed signs of having economic potential.

However, according to Ms. Masoud, these plans were postponed due acts of vandalism, thus costing the firm an estimated 119.4 million Tanzania shillings

In a recent interview in Dar es Salaam with The Guardian, Ms. Masoud indicated that Tanesco had been disappointed by the need to postpone this project, but that it had done so in order to develop services in such a way so as to make them available and beneficial to those who were in need of services.

“Tanesco had reached the decision [to postpone earlier projects] in consideration of the fact that, although the first two phases of the project […] were completed, still the residents of the area have no desire to pay for the services,” said Ms. Masoud, “thus [they are] not willing to use electric service and, therefore, are [also] not ready to safeguard the infrastructures.”

In spite of these issues in other areas, the new plant in Tegeta is nearing completion and, once it has become fully operational, it is expected to have the potential capacity of producing as much as 45 megawatts of power.