Tanzania is moving closer to becoming a major player in regional electricity trade, with the power link connecting its grid to Zambia now 90 percent complete and expected to be operational by February 2027.
The 400-kilovolt Tanzania-Zambia interconnection is expected to open a new market for Tanzania’s electricity by connecting the country to the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP).
The project will also give Tanzania greater flexibility to trade power with countries in the region, including selling surplus electricity when available and accessing power from neighbouring markets when necessary.
The development comes as Tanzania continues to expand its electricity generation and transmission capacity, raising the importance of securing reliable markets for power produced in the country.
Speaking in Zanzibar on September 11 at the opening of the 67th meeting of the SAPP Management Committee, Zanzibar Deputy Minister for Water, Energy and Minerals Seif Kombo said stronger cross-border electricity trade would improve energy security and help countries make better use of their available resources.
“Strengthening cross-border electricity trade will enable countries to make full use of available energy resources, increase electricity availability and improve grid security,” he said.
The Tanzania-Zambia project is being implemented as part of efforts to strengthen regional power interconnections and create a wider electricity market across Eastern and Southern Africa.
Once completed, Tanzania will have a stronger connection to SAPP, giving it access to a regional market where electricity can be traded across borders.
For Tanzania, the link could also provide a market for electricity generated from major investments in power production and transmission.
Speaking on behalf of Tanesco Managing Director, the utility's Deputy Executive Director for Transmission, Zakaria Mgalama, said completion of the project would strengthen Tanzania's participation in regional electricity trade.
“For Tanzania, completion of the Tanzania-Zambia project will be an important step in increasing the country's capacity to participate fully in regional electricity trade, including selling power to SAPP member markets,” he said.
The project could also benefit electricity consumers indirectly by improving the resilience of the national grid.
A stronger regional network gives countries more options during periods of power shortages or reduced generation. Countries with excess electricity can supply markets facing deficits, helping to balance demand and supply across the region.
SAPP Management Committee chairman Andrew Etzinger said regional cooperation had become increasingly important as climate change, drought and extreme weather events continued to affect electricity generation.
He said the Tanzania-Zambia interconnection would also help move the region towards closer integration between SAPP and the Eastern Africa Power Pool (EAPP).
That could eventually create a broader electricity market linking countries in Eastern and Southern Africa and allow power to move across a larger interconnected grid.
For Tanzania, the immediate focus is completing the remaining 10 percent of the Tanzania-Zambia project and putting the infrastructure into commercial use.
The SAPP meeting, held in Zanzibar from September 7 to 11, brought together electricity-sector officials and stakeholders to discuss power-system planning, transmission infrastructure, electricity trading and regional energy security.
The Tanzania-Zambia interconnection therefore represents more than a transmission project. It could give Tanzania a larger market for its electricity while providing the country with another tool to strengthen power supply and grid stability.