Preparation for three-nation power interconnection under way

Mar 18, 2007 - Xinhua

Preparation work for the power interconnection project among Zambia, Tanzania and Kenya has reached an advanced level with the three countries pledging their commitment to constructing the 330 kv interconnector power line at a cost of 670 million U.S. dollars, Zambia Daily Mail reported on Sunday.

Zambia's Energy Minister Felix Mutati Saturday told a press briefing in Livingstone, 500 km south of Lusaka, that the meeting there involving officials from the three countries was the first significant step towards implementation of the proposed project.

Mutati said the project would present not only the interests of the three countries but also those of other African countries.

The power transmission line is designed to deliver 400 mw of power from Zambia's Serenje to Tanzania's Arusha through to Nairobi, Kenya, thereby promoting trade in electricity and enhancing reliability of power supply in the region, according to the minister.

Technical, economic, financial and environmental studies have been completed and the three governments are now preparing the project for implementation. The project is one of the priority projects in the region and has been ranked highly on the New Partnership for African Development (NEPAD) agenda as well as by regional blocs such as the East African Community (EAC) and the Southern African Development Community (SADC).