Tanzania Electric Supply Company (TANESCO) has announced
plans to upgrade the national power grid to ensure a more reliable electricity
supply.
This was unveiled by the Director of System Control, Eng.
Deogratius Mariwa during a visit of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of
Energy, Dr. Doto Biteko on Monday (August 11) Ubungo I, Ubungo II, and Ubungo
III power stations, as well as the Grid Control Centre.
Eng. Mariwa said that TANESCO is building five zonal control
centers and other small 20 new stations over the next three years. The new
control centers will be located in Arusha, Mwanza, Dar es Salaam, Mbeya, and
Dodoma.
According to him, the upgrades will help prevent power
outages and are part of a broader effort to connect Tanzania's grid with
neighboring countries like Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, and Mozambique.
"We are currently procuring a contractor for these
projects," said Mr. Mariwa, noting that Tanzania currently has 67 grid
stations.
The Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Energy, Dr. Doto
Biteko, urged TANESCO to take advantage of the current surplus in electricity
to carry out essential maintenance on power stations and infrastructure.
"The maintenance
should be done constantly so that Tanzanians have a reliable power
supply," he emphasized.
Dr. Biteko highlighted the progress of the Julius Nyerere
Hydropower Project, with three machines already connected to the national grid
and a fourth expected this month. He also mentioned that three machines from
the Rusumo project are now operational.
Dr. Biteko expressed gratitude to President Dr. Samia Suluhu
Hassan for her leadership in the energy sector.
"As a Ministry, we are committed to ensuring that
Tanzanians receive reliable electricity."
The visit was also attended by the Permanent Secretary of
the Ministry of Energy, Mr. Felchesmi Mramba, Deputy Permanent Secretary Dr.
James Mataragio, and TANESCO's management team.