Tanzania sees a big rise in power connectivity from 37.7 to 52.1 per cent
DODOMA: TANZANIA has steadily expanded its electricity infrastructure and boosted generation capacity, with major gains recorded in transmission networks, connectivity and national power output, the government has said.
This was revealed by the Minister for Energy, Deogratius Ndejembi when presenting the Ministry’s 2026/27 budget in Parliament on Wednesday stating that the country’s transmission infrastructure has grown significantly as part of ongoing efforts to strengthen power reliability.
He said the length of transmission lines increased to 8,500.38 kilometres by March 2026, up from 7,809.67 kilometres in March 2025 — representing a 9 per cent rise.
Additionally, he told lawmakers that electricity connectivity has improved markedly, rising from 37.7 per cent in 2020 to 52.1 per cent, with the government targeting connection of 8.3 million new customers to reach 75 per cent access by 2030.
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The minister noted that overall electricity access has improved from 78.4 per cent in 2020 to 85.5 per cent, reflecting continued investments in generation and distribution infrastructure.
On distribution networks, the minister said the length of distribution lines has expanded to 240,229.56 kilometres, compared to 200,266.25 kilometres in March 2025 an increase of about 20 per cent.
In terms of generation, Mr Ndejembi said Tanzania has continued to benefit from its diverse energy mix, including hydropower, solar, wind, natural gas, waste-to-energy, geothermal and uranium resources, enhancing energy security and reliability.
He noted that installed generation capacity rose to 4,522.54 megawatts by March 2026, up from 4,031.71 megawatts in March 2025, representing a 12.17 per cent increase.
The minister said the progress reflects government efforts to strengthen electricity infrastructure and ensure stable power supply to support industrialisation and national development.
