New plant to add 240MW to Tanzania grid
Tuesday October 02 2018
A Tanesco power supply substation. Tanzania’s Kinyerezi II power plant will be commissioned in the next few weeks. FILE PHOTO | NMG
Tanzania’s Kinyerezi II power plant will be commissioned in the next few weeks.
The country’s first combined cycle power plant is expected to add over 240MW to the national power grid on completion.
According to Shoji Watanabe, the project general manager, the power generated by the plant will be enough to cater for nearly 20 per cent of the country’s total power needs.
The power plant will use six Mitsubishi Hitachi H-25 gas turbines and generators to produce electricity.
The $344 million project is funded 85 per cent by Sumitomo Mitsui Banking and Japan Bank for International Co-operation, while the government of Tanzania covers the rest of the cost.
As of May, Tanzania’s installed capacity was 1,517.47 MW against a demand of 1,100MW.
Kinyerezi I, which is already operational, generates 150 MW, with a target of 335MW by February 2019.
Tanzania is also building two new gas-fired plants — Kinyerezi III, with a capacity to generate 600MW and the 450MW Kinyerezi IV — bringing the total capacity at the Kinyerezi complex to 1,625MW.
Dr Alexander Kyaruzi, chairman of the Tanzania Electric Supply Company (Tanesco) board, said the proven natural gas reserves of 57.54 trillion cubic feet will deliver 5,000MW by 2020 and 10,000MW by 2025.
In addition, Tanzania plans to launch construction of a $2 billion hydroelectricity power and Stiegler’s Gorge station before the end of the year. The plant will add 2,100MW to the national grid.
President John Magufuli said last year that the country need to invest about $46.2 billion over the next 20 years to give a face-lift to its ageing energy infrastructure and meet soaring electricity demand.