TANESCO apologizes to customers, pledges to prevent future power outages

DAR ES SALAAM: The Managing Director of the Tanzania Electric Supply Company (TANESCO), Lazaro Twange, has apologized to the utility’s customers following a power outage that occurred yesterday evening, causing electricity disruptions in various parts of the country.

Speaking in Dar es Salaam today, Twange said the outage began at around 7:00 p.m. after a fault occurred on the National Grid. However, TANESCO engineers worked swiftly and managed to restore electricity later that same night.

He said the power supply has now stabilized, with customers across the country, including those in Zanzibar, continuing to receive electricity services as normal.

Twange explained that the National Grid is the interconnected system linking power generation plants, electricity transmission lines, and substations that regulate voltage before electricity reaches consumers.

According to him, yesterday’s outage was caused by simultaneous faults affecting three electricity transmission lines and one grid substation. The incident triggered the grid’s automatic protection system, which shut down operations to prevent extensive damage to critical infrastructure.

He added that TANESCO engineers worked throughout the night to restore electricity and are continuing with detailed investigations to establish the root cause of the fault and implement measures to prevent similar incidents in the future.

The Managing Director also expressed sympathy to all those affected by the outage, including passengers on the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) electric train, patients and staff at Benjamin Mkapa Hospital, business owners, entrepreneurs, and members of the public who experienced disruptions to essential services.

Twange reaffirmed TANESCO’s commitment to working closely with stakeholders to strengthen the National Grid and ensure a more reliable electricity supply across Tanzania.