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Tanzania set to raise energy use rate

Japan International Cooperation Agency chief representative Yasunori Onishi and Tanesco managing director Felchesmi Mramba (left) listen to Ilala Region Transmission and Substations manager Mosha Izahaki (right) during the handover ceremony of Ilala Substation in Dar es Salaam in July last year.

 

Tanzania is on top gear to implement the new goal on achieving high power consumption per capital to be set by the United Nations after completion of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) time frame next year.

Under the current eight MDG goals per capital consumption of electricity is not included, but the UN is set to incorporate it after 2015, according to the minister for Energy and Minerals, Prof Sospeter Muhongo.

The World Bank defines electricity consumption per capital as the amount of electricity in kilowatts consumption by the country in a year divided by the total population.

Speaking at the Powering Afria Conference that ended on Thursday last week, Prof Muhongo said that since Tanzania was chosen by the African Union as the lead country under the Barrack Obama initiative on Powering Africa, the country is also well prepared  to implement the new goal on increasing electricity per capital consumption expected to be set by the UN.

“Tanzania is the lead country in Africa in Powering Africa programme. We have already submitted recommendations on behalf of other African countries on the proposal to set new Millennium Development Goals which will include power consumption for the first time,” said the energy and minerals minister.

According to him, it is possible for Tanzania to increase per capital consumption from the current level of 100 units of electricity to more than 300 units by 2016 due to the huge discoveries of natural gas.

The major source of energy in 2016 will be natural gas contributing to 30 per cent of energy consumption, according to him.

Tanzania Electric Supply Company (Tanesco) managing director Felchesmi Mramba told reporters last week that the sole power utility parastatal was well prepared to ensure that the country increases energy generation capacity with wider involvement of the private sector for the country to meet the target of increasing power consumption per capital.