Tanzania yet to decide whether to buy electricity from Ethiopia

Dar es Salaam. The government said on Tuesday that no decision has been made on whether to import electricity from Ethiopia.

This is despite the existence of regional agreements and the potential for power trade between the two nations.

Energy permanent secretary Felchesmi Mramba said this following reports that Ethiopia plans to export electricity to Tanzania this month.

He told us that the matter stems from the agreement for the construction of power lines under the Kenya-Tanzania Power Interconnection Project, which was funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB).

Mr Mramba said the power interconnection project, which is aimed at improving electricity trade and infrastructure in East Africa, includes provisions that enable power trade among member countries through Eastern African Power Pool (EAPP) agreements.

“Through these agreements, member countries are allowed to engage in cross-border power trade. It’s not just them selling to us, but we can also sell to them,” he said.

Regarding Ethiopia’s potential to begin supplying electricity to Tanzania, Mr Mramba added that no decision has been made yet.

“The possibility stems from our agreement with the AfDB, but we have not yet made a decision to allow them to supply electricity to Tanzania.”

Mr Mramba said if a decision is made, the terms of the agreement allow for the trading of up to 100 megawatts of electricity between the two nations.

The EAPP is a regional organisation in Africa that aims to promote and facilitate cooperation among Eastern African countries in the field of electricity generation, transmission and distribution.

It is a power tool that allows member countries to share electricity resources and infrastructure, thereby improving access to reliable and affordable electricity in the region.

EAPP member countries are Burundi, Comoros, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Rwanda, Seychelles, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

On August 23 Ethiopian Electric Power chief executive Ashebir Balcha said Tanzania would soon join the list of countries receiving electricity exports from Ethiopia.

Currently, Ethiopia exports electricity to Djibouti, Sudan, and Kenya as part of its broader strategy to increase revenue through regional power trade.

According to Mr Balcha, Ethiopia has earned over $140 million from power exports in the past, marking a 6 percent increase compared to the previous year.

This growth is largely supported by Ethiopia’s renewable energy resources, particularly hydropower projects like the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD).

While discussions on importing electricity from Ethiopia are still ongoing, Tanzania has made significant progress in expanding its domestic energy production capabilities.

Deputy Prime Minister and Energy minister Doto Biteko recently confirmed the addition of another 235 megawatts of electricity to the national grid from the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Plant Project (JNHPP).

This new injection of power comes from the operation of turbine number eight at JNHPP, bringing the total power generated by the project to 470MW.

Tanzania’s energy investments extend beyond the JNHPP. The country is also working on several other major energy projects, including the expansion of the Kinyerezi II Natural Gas Power Plant, which will provide an additional 240MW.

Other projects in progress include the Rusumo Hydropower Project (80MW), a solar power project in Shinyanga (150MW), and the Hydropower Project at Kakono (87.8 megawatts).

In addition, Tanzania is pursuing the development of a $42 billion liquefied natural gas (LNG) project, which is expected to further enhance the country’s energy security and economic growth.

Other notable projects are the 222MW Rumakali Hydroelectric Power Station, 321MW Kikonge hydropower project, and the Malagarasi Hydropower project for a 44.8MW hydropower plant and 50MW Mawe project.