TANESCO outlines Zanzibar Power Link Projects during Mwinyi visit

DAR ES SALAAM: Zanzibar President  Dr Hussein Ali Mwinyi, visited the Tanzania Electric Supply Company (TANESCO) pavilion at the 50th Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair (Sabasaba), where he witnessed the utility’s progress in power infrastructure projects and innovative technologies aimed at improving electricity services and driving socio-economic development.

During the visit President Mwinyi toured exhibitions showcasing electricity generation and transmission projects, energy-efficient electric cooking technologies, the LUKU Janja service, and the Smart House system, which enables customers to monitor household electricity consumption through their mobile phones.

Briefing the President, TANESCO Managing Director Lazaro Twange said the government is implementing a plan to construct three new electricity interconnection lines from mainland Tanzania to Zanzibar through undersea cables.

He said the projects will connect Dar es Salaam to Unguja, Tanga to Pemba, and Kisiju to Mafia, and are expected to enhance reliable electricity supply while meeting growing demand driven by industrialisation, tourism, investment, and other economic activities across the islands.

Twange also said the government is implementing a US$282 million project, with US$6 million specifically allocated to promote the use of clean electric cooking energy in partnership with the Zanzibar Electricity Corporation (ZECO).

“We sincerely thank President Samia Suluhu Hassan for the significant investments being made in the electricity sector. Through this US$282 million project, we are strengthening electricity infrastructure, while part of the funding is dedicated to promoting clean electric cooking in collaboration with ZECO,” Twange said.

He further highlighted TANESCO’s digital innovation through the Smart House system, which allows customers to track electricity consumption remotely using mobile phones, helping households manage energy use more efficiently.

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Twange added that TANESCO’s electric cooker financing programme has recorded significant success, with more than 90 percent of beneficiaries continuing to repay the cost of their cookers through deductions made during LUKU electricity purchases. The arrangement has made it easier for households to transition to clean cooking energy.

The initiatives form part of the government’s broader strategy to ensure reliable electricity supply and expand the adoption of clean energy across the country. Major investments, including the 2,115-megawatt Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project, continue to strengthen Tanzania’s electricity capacity, supporting national development projects and long-term economic growth.