Maharage Chande, director general for the power company, said at a press conference in Dar es Salaam yesterday that a deficit of 300 megawatts per day has arisen due to Kidatu and Pangani plants being shut down.
“Drought and ongoing rehabilitation of infrastructures is affecting power supply, but the company is working to minimise the effect,” noting that Kihansi power plant with 180MW capacity generates 17MW at present.
Pangani power station with an installed 68MW capacity has been shut down, while Mtera plant was in slight decline from 80MW to 75MW, he said, affirming that the corporation was doing all it can to ensure that what is generated is equally shared.
He was cautious as to ending power rationing entirely by mid next month, saying shortages will be experienced in the next two to three years, with long term strategies already in place to achieve that goal.
Completion of the Julius Nyerere hydropower plant whose construction is now said to have reached 87 percent will summarily address existing power challenges, he stated.
Drought apart, the company faces challenges of infrastructures as some power plants are ageing out, occasioning power rationing due to frequent renovations, he said.
Some infrastructure problems can be fixed within a short time but others take a year to address, like ordering machinery or plants, getting them exported and installed, he explained.
“We will continue updating the public on the situation of power and measures we are taking every time,” he stated.
He cited the use of energy source mix, noting that the current generation system was largely reliant on hydropower generation, pointing at gas, solar and wind sources now being developed, with 180MW expected from Kinyerezi I gas-fuelled power station entering the national grid next year.
Investors in wind and solar energy plants were also being engaged as part of efforts to improve power supply countrywide, he said.
Dar es Salaam and Coast regions remain the largest users of power, consuming up to 50 percent of generated electricity, he said, specifying that the start of the hot season promotes greater use of electrical fans and air conditioning.
Hydropower remains a major sources of electricity along with the more costly gas powered generation, but dam filling for hydropower plants was increasingly problematic with low levels of water.
