Zambian, Kenyan power to feed national electricity
grid
July 14, 2007 -Sosthenes Mwita -
Daily News On Saturday
THE government has drawn longterm electricity
supply plans that include linking the national power
grid to the grids of Zambia and Kenya so that Tanzania
sources electricity from the Southern Africa Power
Pool and the East Africa Power Pool.
The Minister for Energy and Minerals, Mr Nazir Mustafa
Karamagi, said this in the National Assembly yesterday
when tabling his ministry’s 2007/08 annual budget
proposals. He asked the House to sanction an all-round
expenditure of 353,959,143,900/-. He said out of the
353,959,143,900/-, some 312,409,584,900/- would meet
development expenditure during the financial year.
He also said 41,549,559,000/- would be channelled
into recurrent expenditure. Some 2,710,527,000/- would
be spent on salary payments. Mr Karamagi said in 2007/08,
his ministry expects to sign three contracts that
involved explorations for oil along Lake Tanganyika;
in River Ruvu Valley and in Block No. 8 in deep national
territorial waters of the Indian Ocean. The minister
also said Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation
(TPDC) and Pan African Energy will jointly work on
an experimental project that envisages distributing
compressed natural gas in prisons, major hospitals
and five high profile hotels. He also told the House
that TPDC would continue working on an experimental
project that seeks to modify motor vehicles in the
country so that they use natural gas instead of diesel
or petrol. He said in 2007/08 Tanesco envisages implementing
a medium term plan that would improve production of
power with an addition of 200 MW at Kinyerezi natural
gas plant and modifying the 100MW IPTL plants so that
they use natural gas instead of diesel. The ministry
also seeks to exploit Kiwira Coal Mines to produce
200 MW of power also as a medium term measure. Other
medium and long term measures included production
of hydro-electric power on rivers Ruhudji (358 MW
and Rusumo (60 MW). Long term plans include harnessing
power from the Stiegler’s Gorge (2,400 MW); Rumakali
(222 MW); Mpanga (118 MW) and Masigira (144 MW). He
said the time frame for the medium and long term plans
would be outlined in a 25-year scheme. The minister
told the House his ministry plans to present to the
government suggestions that aim at initiating a state
stock of emergency fuel this financial year. He also
said the ministry has already worked on a business
plan that would guide and control fuel trade. He said
the dialogue between the state and Artumas on production
and distribution of electricity in Mtwara and Lindi
regions would be concluded this financial year. Artumas
would be contracted to supply power in the two regions
instead of Tanesco, he said. He said in 2007/08 the
state would continue to encourage investors to boost
the value of minerals. He said Arusha Gemstone Carving
Centre, which currently imparts stone carving skills
would be encouraged to add lapidary and jewellery
in their programmes. He said in order to ensure that
the nation benefits fully from the mineral sector
the government would continue with a dialogue with
all registered mining companies with a view to making
sure they remitted royalties as required of them.
Mr Karamagi said in 2006 the mineral sector’s contribution
to national economy grew by 3.8 per cent as compared
to 3.5 per cent in 2005. He said the mineral sector
grew by 16.4 per cent in 2006 becoming one of the
fastest growing economic entities in the country.
Minister Karamagi said in 2007/08 the government would
continue to help small-scale by demarcating and registering
their mining blocks as has already been done in Kagera,
Mwanza and Mara regions.
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