In a significant attempt to enhance its electrical supply, Tanzania is importing electricity from Ethiopia via Kenya, which is anticipated to save the nation about TSh 32 billion annually. Stabilizing electricity distribution and minimizing power outages are further goals of this project, particularly in the Northern Zone.
Power must travel great distances to reach the north because the majority of the nation's electrical generation is centered in the southeast. High energy losses have resulted from this, costing the country billions of shillings per year. Tanzania will now use Ethiopia's electricity supply, which will be sent via Kenya's national system, to address this issue.
The recently finished 400kV Kenya-Tanzania interconnector, a project intended to improve power exchange between the two countries, has made this idea feasible. Key substations in Arusha and Singida are located along the 510-kilometer transmission line that connects Isinya, Kenya, to Singida, Tanzania. Tanzania may more easily obtain more affordable and dependable power because to this infrastructure, which facilitates the smooth flow of electricity between nations.
For Tanzania, the advantages are obvious. Reducing transmission losses could result in large financial savings for the nation, which could then be allocated to other development initiatives. Furthermore, Northern Zone families and businesses will see fewer blackouts due to a more reliable electrical supply, improving the climate for economic expansion.
A broader plan for East African energy cooperation includes this development as well. An important part of the Eastern Africa Power Pool (EAPP), a regional project that unites 13 nations to establish a common power market, is the interconnector. Through this partnership, nations may effectively exchange power, guaranteeing that energy is allocated where it is most needed.
Tanzania has previously imported electricity from Zambia, Uganda, and Kenya to assist border areas like Rukwa, Kagera, and Tanga, so the choice to import electricity from Ethiopia is not wholly new. But by resolving long-standing electricity issues in the north, this most recent agreement is anticipated to have a bigger effect.
Economic development depends heavily on a reliable and reasonably priced electricity supply, and Tanzania is setting itself up for future stability and prosperity by taking this calculated action.