Tanzania: 198.67 billion shillings for a 220 kV power line

The contract was signed between the Tanzania Electric Supply Company (TANESCO) and the Chinese group TBEA. The project also includes a new substation in Saza.

This initiative aims to enhance the electricity transmission capacity to Songwe and the neighboring areas of Chunya, where demand is rising due to mining, agricultural, commercial activities, and household needs.

According to information provided at the signing, part of the area is currently supplied from Mbeya by a 33 kV line that is over 116 kilometers long. TANESCO estimates that the distance and increasing consumption complicate the stability of the power supply.

An infrastructure prepared to strengthen the regional network

Tanzania’s Deputy Minister of Energy, Salome Makamba, presented the new link as an investment aimed at supporting productive activities, particularly mining in the Chunya and Songwe districts, while improving access to more reliable electricity.

An environmental study prepared for TANESCO and published by the African Development Bank had already documented the development of a 220 kV link and a substation in the Mbeya-Songwe corridor.

Tanzanian authorities link this investment to a broader program to strengthen the national grid. Salome Makamba specifically mentioned the ongoing work on the Tanzania-Zambia interconnection project, which aims to improve electricity exchanges between the East African and Southern African networks.

The Iganjo-Saza project will be executed by TBEA under the supervision of TANESCO. Officials from the public company have requested that the 18-month timeline be adhered to, as electricity demand continues to grow in both regions.