TANZANIA: THE construction of Geita Gold Mining Company Limited (GGML) electricity substation and distribution lines has reached 95 per cent making visible its efforts to start using electricity from the national grid.
The GGML’s Principal Reliability Engineer, Maftah Seif said on Thursday that the project is expected to be completed in the middle of March depending on power availability from Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited (Tanesco) for hot synchronisation.
“The facility, which is being built for 24.4 million US dollars, will have the capacity to step down the power from 33 kilovolts to 11 kilovolts with a maximum power demand of 40 megawatts,” he said while briefing the Chief Financial Officer Gillian Doran from AngloGold Ashanti, the parent company of GGML.
He said that the major task left now is the commissioning of the power stabilisation units, STATCOMs which will be followed by the Site Acceptance Test (SAT).
Initially explaining more about the project, Anglo Gold Ashanti Vice President for Sustainability and Corporate Affairs (Africa) Simon Shayo said the construction of a 220-kilovolt line from Bulyanhulu to Geita is on the final stage to complete a 6.1-kilometre 33-kilovolt line to the GGML mine.
At the same time, the company is constructing a substation to step down the power output to 11 kilovolts. He also pointed out that many mining companies have relied on self-generated electricity since the 2000s.
The government is now making a conscious effort to integrate the energy sector with larger manufacturing sectors by ensuring adequate power supply for large investors.
Mr Shayo cited GGML as an example, which currently generates 40 megawatts of electricity from its installed diesel-powered generators.
“Once TANESCO’s electricity project is completed, the mine will be able to rely on the national grid, resulting in a 50 per cent reduction in electricity costs, which translates into annual savings of 19 million US dollars,” he explained.
By stopping captive power generation and connecting to TANESCO’s national grid, GGML also aims to reduce carbon emissions by 81 kilotonnes by 2030.
“As the country plans to invest heavily in the mining sector and establish mineral mines in various regions, TANESCO is expected to see a significant increase in revenue due to the increased electricity consumption of these mines,” he said.
