Wind

Tanzania targets 1,150 MW of installed wind power capacity by 2038 under the Renewable Energy Strategy (2024, 2034), from a base where wind currently contributes just 0.06% of the national generation mix.^[2]

Wind is one of Tanzania's five recognized renewable energy resources, alongside hydro, geothermal, solar, and biomass.^[5]

The country's wind endowment is concentrated in the central and western regions, where a 2023 variable renewable energy analysis identified average speeds above 8 m/s and localized areas exceeding 10 m/s, placing Tanzania among the more attractive wind investment destinations in East Africa.^[5]

Wind in the National Generation Mix

Tanzania's total energy generation reached 8,501.78 GWh, measured against an electricity demand of 2,505.86 MW.^[2]

Within that mix, wind contributed 0.06%, the smallest share of any dispatched source.^[2]

Hydropower dominated with 58.20%, followed by natural gas at 34.73%, liquid fuel at 4.12%, coal at 2.93%, biomass at 2.68%, and solar at 0.23%.^[2]

The reserve margin stood at 51.02%, operating well within the target of greater than 15%, providing headroom to absorb new variable renewable capacity such as wind.^[2]

Power plant availability was recorded at 73.25%, below the target of greater than 88%, while overall plant utilization stood at 31.98%.^[2]

These utilization gaps underscore the case for firming variable resources such as wind alongside dispatchable capacity.^[2]

Wind Resource Potential and Geography

Tanzania has wind energy potential in areas with average speeds of over 8 m/s.^[5]

A variable renewable energy analysis conducted in 2023 confirmed that the central and western regions have good wind resources.^[5]

Some localized areas experience wind speeds of more than 10 m/s, an intensity range considered highly favourable for utility-scale wind farm development.^[5]

Singida, in the central region, has emerged as the country's flagship wind development corridor, with a specific 100 MW wind project identified at Kititimo.^[7]

Alongside wind, Tanzania's broader renewable endowment includes around 4,700 MW of hydropower potential (of which 837.77 MW has been exploited), over 5,000 MW of geothermal potential, and solar irradiation of 1,800 to 2,400 kWh per square meter per year, enabling hybrid renewable strategies.^[5]

Policy Framework and Renewable Targets

Tanzania is implementing the Renewable Energy Strategy (2024, 2034) to coordinate and integrate renewable energy across sectors.^[6]

The strategy drives the National Energy Compact's objective to increase renewables from the current 61.8% to 75% of the generation mix by 2030.^[6]

By 2038, the strategy targets a total renewable generation capacity of 6,130 MW, comprising 3,160 MW from hydropower, 1,340 MW from solar, 1,150 MW from wind, and 480 MW from geothermal energy.^[6]

The National Energy Compact further calls for adding over 1,800 MW of new generation capacity from solar, wind, geothermal, and hydro sources to meet its 75% renewables target.^[7]

Under the Development Vision 2050, wind capacity expansion is explicitly listed under Accelerator 2 (Reliable, Affordable, and Clean Energy), which aims to achieve 90% energy access by 2050 through hydropower, solar, wind, and natural gas.

To meet forecasted electricity demand, total installed capacity is projected to grow to 11,822.39 MW by 2050, creating headroom for wind capacity to scale beyond the 2038 milestone.^[1]

Financing and Private Sector Mobilization

The National Energy Compact calls on development partners and the private sector to accelerate progress in energy access and help mobilize an additional USD 12.9 billion in financing, including USD 4.039 billion from the private sector.^[7]

Project financing follows a 70%-debt and 30%-equity split, providing a defined capital structure for wind independent power producer transactions.^[3]

The Government targets increasing electricity connectivity to 75% by 2030 and achieving universal access by the same year, expanding the addressable off-taker base for wind generation feeding both grid and mini-grid networks.^[4]

Investment Opportunities

The Ministry of Energy's 2025/2026 budget explicitly names wind among the priority renewable sub-sectors open to private capital.^[7]

The flagship opportunity is the 100 MW Kititimo wind power project in Singida, for which the Government is seeking private sector participation.^[7]

Reaching the 2038 target of 1,150 MW of installed wind capacity implies development of roughly 1,150 MW of new wind projects over the next decade, opening a pipeline for utility-scale independent power producers, hybrid solar-wind schemes in the central and western regions, and equipment supply chains.^[6]

Complementary opportunities lie in grid expansion and mini-grids, which are needed to evacuate variable wind output and integrate it with hydro, solar, and natural gas.^[1]

Rural electrification programs create additional off-grid demand for small-scale wind and hybrid systems in hamlets far from the national grid.^[7]

Last Update: May 2026

References

1. https://www.bot.go.tz/Publications/Regular/Monthly%20Economic%20Review/en/2026020312553210.pdf (Guide reference #12)
2. https://www.ewura.go.tz/uploads/documents/en-1771937532-Electricty%20Sub-Sector%20Performance%20Updates_Dec_2025.pdf (Guide reference #15)
3. https://www.nishati.go.tz/uploads/documents/en-1758611412-POWER%20SYSTEM%20MASTER%20PLAN%202024.pdf (Guide reference #97)
4. https://tims.tanesco.co.tz/portal (Guide reference #98)
5. https://www.nishati.go.tz/uploads/documents/en-1754048957-National%20Renewable%20Energy%20Strategy%202024%E2%80%932034.pdf (Guide reference #99)
6. https://www.nishati.go.tz/uploads/documents/en-1754049550-National%20Renewable%20Energy%20Strategy%202024%E2%80%932034.pdf (Guide reference #102)
7. https://thedocs.worldbank.org/en/doc/7d09ddf2619513d85e489e2620252793-0010012025/original/M300-AES-Compact-Tanzania.pdf (Guide reference #105)