Tanzania Seeks to Import 100MW of Ethiopian Power via Kenya
Kenya’s Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA) has confirmed receiving an application from Tanzania to import 100 megawatts of electricity from Ethiopia using Kenya’s transmission network.
EPRA Director General Daniel Kiptoo stated that the request involves a collaboration between Ethiopia Electric Power, Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (KETRACO), and Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited (TANESCO).
He added that the application is under review, with a final decision expected by the end of March after evaluating its technical and economic feasibility.
“We are currently assessing both the technical and economic aspects. The matter is already public, and Tanzania’s Minister has disclosed that the deal with Ethiopia is priced at around 37 US cents per kilowatt-hour,” Kiptoo said.
KETRACO is set to charge Tanzania a wheeling fee for using Kenya’s transmission lines, a move expected to help mitigate power shortages in Tanzania’s Northern Zone, where outages reportedly cause economic losses exceeding Sh32 billion annually.
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan described the power import as a strategic decision to address energy transmission inefficiencies from the South-Eastern region to the Northern Zone.
Government Spokesperson Gerson Msigwa further noted that Tanzania’s membership in the North Africa Power Pool enables access to competitive electricity rates.
Meanwhile, Kenya Power has warned of a potential 30% increase in electricity costs if a proposed wayleave charge of KSh 200 per meter on power infrastructure is implemented.
CEO Joseph Siror cautioned that this would impose an annual financial burden of KSh 63.8 billion on consumers, contradicting the Energy Act 2019, which prohibits levies on public energy infrastructure without regulatory approval.
