By Correspondence
Tanzania’s state power utility TANESCO said a major 400-kilovolt electricity transmission project linking Chalinze and Dodoma is expected to be completed by August 18, 2026, as the government moves to strengthen the national grid and support rising energy demand.
TANESCO Managing Director Lazaro Twange said implementation of the strategic project had reached 82.5 percent, with the government allocating TZS 514 billion for its execution.
Speaking during an inspection tour of the project in Morogoro and Dodoma regions on Tuesday, Twange said the 345-kilometre transmission line would play a critical role in transporting electricity generated from the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project to central parts of the country and other regions connected to the national grid.
“This transmission line is important because it increases the capacity to transport electricity from the Julius Nyerere hydropower dam to consumers across the country,” Twange said.
He said the project includes expansion works at the Chalinze and Zuzu substations, aimed at improving electricity reliability and supporting industrial investment and economic growth.
Twange said the project was being implemented in response to increasing electricity demand driven by population growth, industrialisation and expanding economic activity.
“We have agreed with the contractor to ensure the project is completed by August 18, 2026,” he said, while urging faster implementation to meet the deadline.
“We have also agreed to increase the number of technical personnel and equipment to accelerate the remaining works,” he added.
Project Manager Engineer Newtone Lingstone said the transmission line project was fully financed by the Tanzanian government, while construction and expansion works at receiving and distribution substations were progressing steadily.
Once completed, the high-voltage transmission line is expected to improve power stability and availability not only in Dodoma, the country’s administrative capital, but also in several other regions connected to the grid.
The project forms part of Tanzania’s broader efforts under President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s administration to expand energy infrastructure, improve electricity access and support industrial development through increased power generation and transmission capacity.
