Dar es Salaam - Tanzania expects some relief from power cuts in a fortnight after 28 megawatts of electricity is added to the national grid, a senior government official and the state-run utility said on Monday.
Tanzania Electric Supply Company (TANESCO) announced 14-hour power cuts in early October after breakdowns in some generation plants and delays in the completion of a new gas-fired station put the East African nation into a 72 MW deficit.
The utility said in a presentation to parliament's committee on energy and minerals that lack of a reserve margin from other power sources had compounded the problem.
Adam Malima, deputy minister for energy and minerals, said they expected repairs at two of the broken plants, a gas turbine and at an 8 MW hydro turbine to be complete in two weeks.
"In the next 15 days we are guaranteed of that extra 28 megawatts," he told a news conference after the presentation.
TANESCO expects to have its new 45 MW gas plant running by November, while a broken 60 MW hydro plant is expected to resume generation in December.
Malima said the onset of rains would also boost water levels in the country's hydroelectric dams and further increase power production.
"So if you take the 45 MW plus the 28 MW, we are talking of about 70 MW without speaking of the hydrology. If the hydrology increases next month, then that is another bonus," Malima said.
Tanzania also suffered serious power cuts in 2006 after a drought stunted hydroelectric power production. In the longer term, it plans to add another 100 MW natural gas plant in Dar es Salaam and another 60 MW heavy fuel oil plant in northwest Tanzania.
TANESCO said the country was producing an average 697 MW against a suppressed demand of 714 MW. It expects demand to rise to 769 MW in 2009.
The country has an installed capacity of 964 MW with just 14 percent of its 40 million people hooked to the grid. Demand is growing by 10 to 15 percent annually.
TANESCO said other factors that have led to a rise in demand include the connection of two gold mines that consume a total 40 MW from the grid. - Reuters