TANZANIA HAS APPROVED SHORT- AND LONG-TERM MEASURES TO ARREST A POWER CRISIS WHICH HAS BADLY AFFECTED THE COUNTRY’S MANUFACTURING SECTOR.

THE MANAGING DIRECTOR OF THE STATE-RUN TANZANIA ELECTRIC SUPPLY COMPANY (TANESCO) DISCLOSED FRIDAY THAT AS A SHORT-TERM MEASURE, THE COUNTRY WILL IMPORT 100-MEGAWATT THERMAL GENERATORS FROM MALAYSIA AND FINLAND.

“WE HOPE THE GENERATORS WILL BE INSTALLED WITHIN THE COMING SIX MONTHS TO INCREASE POWER GENERATION AND DISTRIBUTION,” SAID SIMON MHAVILLE.

THE MANAGING DIRECTOR SAID TANESCO HAD ALSO REACHED AN AGREEMENT WITH NEIGHBOURING ZAMBIA TO IMPORT 200 MEGAWATTS OF ELECTRICITY FROM THE SOUTHERN AFRICAN COUNTRY.

THE 150-MILLION-DOLLAR TANZANIA-ZAMBIA ELECTRICITY PROJECT IS EXPECTED TO BE COMMISSIONED IN 1997, SAID MHAVILLE.

“IN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS, MINISTERS RESPONSIBLE FOR ENERGY FROM TANZANIA AND ZAMBIA WILL SIGN THE AGREEMENT TO PAVE WAY FOR THE LAUNCH OF THE PROJECT,” EXPLAINED THE OFFICIAL.

TANZANIA BEGAN RATIONING POWER THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY EARLY IN SEPTEMBER, CUTTING OFF CONSUMERS, BOTH DOMESTIC AND MANUFACTURING, BY UP TO 15 HOURS PER DAY.

ENERGY EXPERTS BLAMED THE ERRATIC POWER SUPPLY TO SEVERAL FACTORS THAT INCLUDE DROUGHT, DELAY IN COMMISSIONING NEW POWER STATIONS AND INCREASED ENERGY CONSUMPTION.

ACCORDING TO TANESCO, DEMAND OF ELECTRICITY IN THE EAST AFRICAN NATION OF 28 MILLION PEOPLE IS GROWING AT BETWEEN 11 AND 12 PERCENT PER YEAR.

THE UTILITY ESTIMATES THAT BY THE TURN OF THE CENTURY, TANZANIA WILL NEED MORE THAN 1,000 MEGAWATTS OF ELECTRICITY COMPARED TO THE CURRENT DEMAND OF 400 MEGAWATTS.

MEANWHILE, DONOR COUNTRIES HAVE URGED THE GOVERNMENT OF PRESIDENT ALI HASSAN MWINYI TO ESTABLISH ELECTRICITY SUB- STATIONS TO ENSURE ADEQUATE POWER SUPPLIES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY.

“YOU SHOULD CONSTRUCT ELECTRIC SUB-STATIONS TO MAKE THE ENERGY SECTOR CONTRIBUTE TO THE COUNTRY’S DEVELOPMENT,” SAID ALF ADELER, A NORWEGIAN DIPLOMAT HERE.

FINLAND, NORWAY AND SWEDEN ARE CURRENTLY ASSISTING THE TANZANIAN GOVERNMENT IN IMPLEMENTING THE COUNTRY’S 20-YEAR POWER DEVELOPMENT PLAN EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED BY 2015.