Tanzania to Establish Power Grid Connection with Zambia to Alleviate Drought-Induced Power Shortages
Tanzania is advancing plans to establish a power grid connection with Zambia to help address Zambia’s drought-related power shortages, announced Deputy Prime Minister Doto Biteko at the Singapore International Energy Week.
“We have interconnectors with our neighbors—Rwanda, Burundi, and Kenya—and now we are establishing an interconnector with Zambia to assist our neighbor during this severe drought,” said Biteko, who also serves as the Minister of Energy.
As a member of the Eastern African Power Pool, Tanzania has access to a broader market, allowing it to sell surplus electricity to neighboring countries.
The interconnector project, which commenced in September, is expected to take three years to complete. This initiative follows a 2014 agreement among Kenya, Tanzania, and Zambia to invest £1.1 billion in connecting their power grids by 2018.
In addition, regarding the $42 billion Tanzania LNG export facility, Biteko mentioned that the government is currently negotiating with project partners to finalize the host government agreement.
Delays in the project have arisen due to proposed changes to last year’s financial agreement, with the government aiming to ensure equitable benefits for all stakeholders.
The project partners include joint operators Equinor and Shell, alongside ExxonMobil, Pavilion Energy, Medco Energi, and Tanzania’s national oil company, TPDC.
