Africa-Press – Tanzania. KATAVI Regional Commissioner (RC) Ms Mwanamvua Mrindoka has called on the government through the Energy Ministry to speed up the process of connecting the region to the national grid electricity.
The move, according to the RC will enable the region to reduce high cost of generating electricity using diesel as well as reducing power charges to the citizens in the region.
The RC made the call before the ruling party’s CCM Secretary General Mr Daniel Chongolo who had visited the region to inspect implementation of the party’s manifesto in the region.
She lack of reliable power in Katavi has affected industrial development and economic growth in the region.
Presenting a report on power generation in the region, the Acting Regional Manager of Tanzania Electric Supply Company (TANESCO) Mr Godfrey Josephant said power production through diesel costs 37m/- to 43m/- per day and 1.3bn/- per month while it generates only 500m/- to 668m/- revenues per month.
He said currently the power generated through Mpanda Power Plant produces only 5.816MW and supplies 5.5MW.
He, however, said the management of the plant has received requests of 9.5MW from industrialists in the region.
He named them as Katavi Mining Company Limited that needs 8.0MW, Katavi Industrial Park Company Limited 0.5MW, Mlele Mining 0.5MW, megawatts and Kapalamsenge Mine 0.5 megawatts.
The government through TANESCO is implementing a 64.9bn/- project of the main electricity transmission line from Tabora to Katavi region.
Deputy Minister for Energy, Stephen Byabato said recently that the project will be implemented by using local engineers from TANESCO and that it would be completed on August 2023.
“The construction of the control building at Ipole, Inyonga and Mpanda has already been completed and the way leave for the transmission line from Tabora and Katavi had been completed,” said Mr Byabato.
Commenting on the implementation, Mr Josephant TANESCO Acting Manager) said some 520 electricity poles out of 409 have been assembled at the construction sites.
Ruling Party SG reiterated the need for the government to speed up the implementation of the project to enable the region to lower the operation costs.
“TANESCO here (KATAVI) is currently operating on a big loss because the operating costs exceeds the generated revenues and for that matter the ministry of energy ought to speed up the process of connecting Katavi to national grid electricity,” he said.
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