TANESCO announces two-day power interruptions in 11 regions

DODOMA: RESIDENTS in 11 regions will experience scheduled power interruptions this weekend as the Tanzania Electric Supply Company (TANESCO) undertakes works to upgrade the Zuzu substation to accommodate the 400-kilovolt (kV) transmission system under the Tanzania-Zambia (TAZA) power project.

The affected regions are Singida, Manyara, Arusha, Kigoma, Kagera, Tabora, Shinyanga, Simiyu, Geita, Mwanza and Mara, where electricity supply will be interrupted on November 14 and 15, from 6:30 am to 5:30 pm.

TANESCO Deputy Managing Director responsible for Distribution, Engineer Timothy Mgaya, announced the planned interruptions in Dodoma yesterday while touring the Zuzu substation and briefing journalists on developments in the strategic power transmission project.

He said that the interruptions were necessary to facilitate the upgrading of the Zuzu substation to 400kV as part of preparations for energising the new transmission infrastructure.

“Now that the Iringa upgrades are nearing completion, the Zuzu substation is being upgraded to 400 kilovolts,” he said.

Eng Mgaya explained that some infrastructure was still operating at 220kV while awaiting the completion of upgrades at the Iringa substation.

The TAZA project involves the construction of an approximately 620-kilometre 400kV transmission line linking Iringa, Mbeya, Tunduma and Sumbawanga in Rukwa Region, with an interconnector extending from Tunduma to Zambia.

The project also includes substations in Iringa, Kisada, Tunduma (Mkangamo), Mbeya (Iganjo) and Rukwa.

Elaborating on the implementation schedule, TAZA Project Substations Engineer Deogratius Nyamtumbaga said TANESCO would begin energising the new infrastructure in phases from November 25.

“The rollout will begin with the 400kV Dodoma-Iringa line, eventually extending to Sumbawanga and establishing the interconnector link to Zambia,” he said.

He further said that the Dodoma substation served as a major distribution hub for 400kV electricity generated at the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project (JNHPP), transmitted through Chalinze to the Southern Highlands, Northern and Western zones.

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Beyond the TAZA developments, Eng Nyamtumbaga said this weekend’s work would also enable the activation of a second 400kV transmission line between Dodoma and Singida, reducing reliance on a single transmission line.

He added that the second 250-megavolt-Ampere (MVA) transformer would be installed at the Singida substation, increasing transmission capacity serving the Lake, Northern and Western zones from the current 200 megawatts to 400 megawatts.

According to Eng Nyamtumbaga, construction of transmission line towers began in November 2023 and had reached 97 percent,  while substation construction, which started in April 2024, had reached 94 percent.

The overall project, valued at approximately 2tri/-, has reached 95 per cent completion, with the remaining work involving testing, system verification and final preparations ahead of commissioning.

“The remaining work involves testing, system verification and final preparations to ensure everything operates efficiently before official commissioning,” he said.

He said TANESCO would begin energising the 400kV transmission line from Dodoma to Iringa, and from Iringa to Kisada, on November 26.

On November 29, energisation would begin on the section linking Mbeya to Sumbawanga.

By December 5, residents of Sumbawanga are expected to start receiving electricity directly from Tanzania’s national grid instead of relying on power imported from Zambia.