Mtwara gas adds 245 MW to national grid, reports Tanesco

By Lydia Shekighenda

Tanesco�s Public Relations Manager Adrian Severin

 Thanks to the natural gas from Mtwara, Tanzania Electricity Supply Company (Tanesco) has now added at least 245 megawatts to the national grid.

 

In an exclusive interview with The Guardian yesterday in Dar es Salaam, Tanesco’s Public Relations Manager Adrian Severin said adding megawatts generated from natural gas to the national grid is being done in stages.

“We have already added 245 megawatts generated from our power plants and the process is going on well,” he said.

 

“We expect the country will have reliable power after all the megawatts are added to the national grid,” he reassured the public and stakeholders.

Of the total 245 MW, he said 70 MW are from Ubungo II power plant and 75 MW from Kinyerezi 1, while Symbion has added 100 MW.

 

“Soon we will add more megawatts from Ubungo II and Kinyerezi power plants,” he said noting that the addition will be 35mw and 75 MW respectively.

 

He further noted that the construction of Kinyerezi II power plant is underway and it was expected to generate 240 MW upon completion; “power shortage will be reduced after all the megawatts generated from natural gas are added to the national grid,” he said.

 

Severin also pointed out that the ongoing rains have not helped fill the recently shut down Mtera hydropower dam.

 

He said that the water level at the hydropower plant could be improved if it was raining at the Southern highlands.

 

Early September Tanesco announced a week long power rationing countrywide to allow the testing of the new 542-kilometre long gas pipeline from Mtwara to Dar es Salaam.

 

 Tanesco Director General Felchism Mramba told journalists who toured the Kinyerezi I power plant that the   gas plant generating power from Songosongo will be switched off to allow the testing of the new gas pipeline from Mtwara.

 

He however assured Tanzanians that they should expect reliable power thereafter, when Tanesco starts generating power from the Mtwara gas.

 

In his comments Former Minister for Energy and Minerals George Simbachawene, said using natural gas to produce electricity is the permanent solution to the country’s power problems; “it guarantees sufficient supply of electricity throughout the year,” he said.

 

 Simbachawene said the power plants were previously running below because amount of gas from Songosongo was not sufficient but now Tanzanians shall experience improvement in power supply because of additional gas from Mtwara.

 

“It is a huge achievement that all Tanzanians have to be proud of,” he said and placed the value of the project at 1.225 billion US dollars fully funded by tax payers’ money and supervised by Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC).

 

The minister summed up with a note on government’s commitment to invest in new gas-fired power plants to boost electricity generation across East Africa.