National grid power capacity expands by 8.75 per cent

DODOMA: POWER generation capacity in Tanzania has increased significantly, with plants connected to the National Grid reaching 3,091.71 megawatts by December 2024, up from 2,842.96 megawatts in September 2024.

This increase of 248.75 megawatts, equivalent to 8.75 per cent, was attributed to the addition of 235 megawatts from the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project (JNHPP) and the Kigoma plants.

Deputy Minister for Energy, Ms Judith Kapinga, revealed the increase during a session in Dodoma on Friday, where she presented a report on electricity production and distribution from September to December 2024 to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Energy and Minerals.

“The increase was due to the entry of 235 megawatts from the JNHPP Project and the Kigoma plants into the National Grid,” said Ms Kapinga.

She added, “Tanzania Electricity Corporation (TANESCO) has continued to renovate various power generation plants, including those in Kihansi, Kidatu and Ubungo, to enable the nation to have reliable electricity at all times.” Ms Kapinga also pointed out the strength of the electricity transmission and distribution infrastructure in the country.

“The infrastructure includes 8,025.38 kilometres of electricity transmission lines and 197,597.34 kilometres of distribution lines. This has significantly contributed to the availability of reliable electricity for customers,” the Deputy Minister said During the period from September to December 2024, TANESCO connected 109,918 new customers, bringing the total number of electricity connections in the country to 5,225,193.

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“These new connections are part of the government’s efforts to expand electricity access and ensure more Tanzanians benefit from reliable power,” Ms Kapinga asserted.

The Director of Policy and Planning at the Ministry of Energy, Ms Petro Lyatuu, while presenting the 2024/2025 budget implementation report to the committee said, the ministry has executed the budget in various areas, focusing on strategic and priority projects.

He said, the ministry has continued to implement projects for the generation, transmission and distribution of electricity to extend the national grid to the remaining regions.

Mr Lyatuu said that the Ministry was working to distribute energy to rural areas, including the distribution of electricity at hamlet level across mainland Tanzania, as well as implementing strategic oil and natural gas projects, including the project for processing and liquefying natural gas.

He reaffirmed the docket’s commitment to ensuring the availability of reliable electricity that meets economic and social needs, which includes increasing the capacity of power generation plants connected to the National Grid, reaching 3,091.71 Megawatts by December 2024.

“This increase is a result of the completion of various projects, particularly the JNHP Project, where by December 2024, five out of nine turbines had been completed, generating electricity that is fed into the national grid,” noted Mr Lyatuu.

He further said that the Ministry had finalised the Energy Efficiency Strategy (2024/2025) in November 2024, which was launched in December, last year.