By IPS Correspondents
DAR ES SALAAM, Dec 2 1994 (IPS)

TANZANIA, ABOUT TO CLOSE ITS MAIN HYDRO-ELECTRIC GENERATING DAM, IS HOLDING TALKS WITH ZAMBIA TO EXPLORE THE POSSIBILITY OF IMPORTING POWER TO EASE SHORTAGES.

TWO OFFICIALS FROM THE STATE-RUN TANZANIA ELECTRIC SUPPLY COMPANY (TANESCO), HEADED BY MANAGING DIRECTOR, SIMON MHAVILLE, ARE IN THE ZAMBIAN CAPITAL OF LUSAKA.

“WE HOPE THE TALKS WILL YIELD POSITIVE RESULTS AND ZAMBIA WILL AGREE TO PROVIDE US WITH ELECTRICITY,” A TANESCO OFFICIAL SAID HERE THURSDAY.

THE COMPANY’S DECISION TO SEND A DELEGATION TO ZAMBIA CAME AS THE GOVERNMENT ANNOUNCED WEDNESDAY THAT IT MIGHT BE FORCED TO CLOSE DOWN ITS MAJOR HYDRO-POWER PLANT DUE TO PROLONGED DROUGHT.

IF THE DAM IS CLOSED, PARTS OF THE EAST AFRICAN NATION WILL BE AFFECTED BY POWER BLACKOUTS, SOME FOR AS LONG AS 15 HOURS. ONLY MAJOR HOSPITALS WILL BE EXEMPTED FROM RATIONING.

TANZANIA’S POWER CRISIS BEGAN AFTER THE WATER LEVEL AT MTERA DAM, THE COUNTRY’S BIGGEST, DROPPED TO A CRITICAL 690.44 METRES ABOVE SEA LEVEL. IF IT SINKS TO 690 METRES, EXPERTS SAY, TANESCO WILL ALSO BE FORCED TO SHUT IT DOWN.

THE GOVERNMENT INTRODUCED POWER RATIONING IN SEPTEMBER FOLLOWING PERSISTENT DROUGHT WHICH HAS REDUCED WATER LEVELS AT THE COUNTRY’S MAIN HYDRO-ELECTRIC DAMS.

TANESCO AUTHORITIES SAID THEY HAD RESORTED TO ZAMBIA BACAUSE TANZANIA’S PLAN TO BOOST ITS MEAGRE ELECTRIC POWER OUTPUT FROM CHARCOAL AND NATURAL GAS WOULD TAKE TIME.

A 300-MILLION-DOLLAR KIHANSI POWER PLANT, IN SOUTHWEST TANZANIA, WILL START OPERATING IN 1998, WHILE EXPLOITATION OF NATURAL GAS FROM SONGOSONGO, 300 KMS SOUTH OF HERE, WILL TAKE TWO TO THREE YEARS.

“WE HAVE DECIDED TO APPROACH ZAMBIA BECAUSE OUR LONG TERM PLANS WILL TAKE LONGER,” A TANESCO OFFICIAL, WHO DECLINED TO BE NAMED, TOLD IPS.

ACCORDING TO HIM, TANZANIA WANTS ZAMBIAN POWER TO BE INTEGRATED INTO TANZANIA’S GRID IN A BID TO ENSURE SMOOTH INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION, THE OFFICIAL SAID.

BOTH COUNTRIES ARE MEMBERS OF THE SOUTHERN AFRICA DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY (SADC) AND JOINTLY RUN THE 1,860 KMS TANZANIA-ZAMBIA RAILWAY AUTHORITY (TAZARA).

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