Tanzania's gas-rich southern regions to join national electricity grid

The government of Tanzania said on Saturday it will connect the country's gas-rich southern regions of Mtwara and Lindi to the national electricity grid.

Sospeter Muhongo, the east African nation's Minister for Energy and Minerals, told Parliament in the political capital Dodoma that the Tanzania Electric Supply Company (TANESCO) has started building a 132 KV transmission line.

The two regions currently get electricity from an 18MW power system that was built by Artumas Power a few years ago, said the minister adding that this was not enough to enable all districts in the two regions to be supplied with electricity.

"TANESCO is now building a 132KV transmission line complete with two substations that will see electricity easily reach as far as Masasi district in Mtwara region and Liwale district in Lindi region and in all the other districts," he said.

Muhongo added that TANESCO was also constructing a 400KV line that will connect Somanga Fungu in Lindi to Kinyerezi natural-gas plant to power production plants in Dar es Salaam.

He could not reveal the actual amount to be spent on the project that will see Mtwara residents benefiting from the power, produced by natural gas which is being transported from their area to Dar es Salaam via a Chinese-built pipeline. Endit