Francis Barnabas
The government said on Saturday, February 3, 2024 that the Tanzania-Kenya power exchange deals were at the approval levels to enable the two countries to benefit with the constructed connectivity deal.
The government’s announcement came a few days after the African Development Bank (AfDB) called on the partner countries to speed up the signing of three key agreements following the completion of the $309.26 million connectivity line.
The 507.5 kilometre line that runs from the Isinya substation to Arusha, through Namanga, has the capacity to transfer 2,000 megawatts.
In its latest review, AfDB, which is a major project financier, said the three deals were key to rolling out the regional power trade meant to boost electricity supply and cut reliance on the dirty and costly thermal power in the two countries.
However according to Energy Ministry Permanent Secretary, Felchesmi Mramba shared that the said deals are subject to approval by government agencies.
The two neighbours were last month expected to complete the 507.5-kilometre line that runs from the Isinya substation to Arusha through Namanga. The line will have an intended transfer capacity of 2,000 megawatts.
Wheeling is the transfer of electricity from an electrical grid to an electrical load outside the grid boundaries through the use of existing distribution or transmission networks.
Completion of the 400 kilovolts line had been plunged into uncertainty as Ketraco delayed completing its share of the line due to hitches in compensating and resettling families along the project area.
The line whose construction started in 2015 will allow cross-border exchanges of cheap and cleaner surplus power from neighbouring countries in the Eastern Africa Power Pool countries.
Nations in the Eastern Africa Power Pool are Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, the Republic of Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Djibouti, Ethiopia, Egypt, Somalia, Rwanda and Libya.
Kenya currently imports cheap hydroelectricity from Ethiopia and Uganda and the supplies have been critical in helping avoid power rationing especially last year when hydro-generation hit record lows on prolonged drought.
Tanzania has recently been forced to ration power in some parts due to low hydro generation, highlighting the critical role of the line to the neighbouring country. The line will also allow Tanzania to tap cheap hydroelectricity from Ethiopia.
Ketraco had delayed the completion of the line on the Kenyan side which spans about 93 kilometres between Isinya substation and the border town of Namanga.
