By Business Insider Reporter
Tanzania is accelerating its transition toward a reliable, future-proof electricity system as the national utility, Tanesco, intensifies implementation of major power generation, transmission and distribution projects across the country.
The push forms a central pillar of President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s industrialisation agenda – one that hinges on uninterrupted, affordable and sustainable power to drive investment, manufacturing and economic growth.
During a site inspection on November 27, 2025, the Minister for Energy, Deogratius Ndejembi, reaffirmed government confidence in Tanesco’s performance and oversight capabilities as he reviewed progress on the flagship 400-kilovolt Chalinze–Dodoma transmission line. The multibillion-shilling project – expected to cost TSh 556 billion – is fully financed by domestic resources, signalling Tanzania’s growing capacity to bankroll strategic infrastructure without relying on external loans.
Ndejembi stressed that the project must be delivered on schedule and according to design standards, directing Tanesco to intensify supervision of the contractor and develop a revised work plan to ensure timely completion.
“We do not want to reach the end of implementation only to find a partially delivered project,” he said, noting that the line is integral to the country’s broader power-system upgrade.
The minister underscored that President Samia has placed strong emphasis on expanding electricity access nationwide, not only to households but to industries, commercial centres and emerging investment zones.
Expanding the transmission backbone, he said, is no longer optional but a strategic necessity as Tanzania’s economy grows and new energy-intensive ventures – such as mining, manufacturing, logistics and data centres – gain momentum.
Tanesco’s Managing Director, Lazaro Twange, echoed the government’s priorities, emphasising that Tanzania now has sufficient power from existing generation sources, including the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project (JNHPP), natural gas plants and expanding renewable energy projects. The utility’s immediate focus, he said, is on moving that power efficiently from production points to consumers and businesses.
Key to this effort are the newly completed substations in Dodoma and Chalinze, designed as national transmission hubs. The Dodoma substation, in particular, plays a dual role – distributing electricity to regions across central and northern Tanzania while also serving as a critical link in cross-border interconnection with Kenya.
This regional integration is expected to strengthen East Africa’s power trading market and enhance supply stability across the region.
The 400kV Chalinze–Dodoma line will also act as a highway for evacuating electricity from the JNHPP – Tanzania’s largest-ever energy project – ensuring reliable flow of power to industries, cities and export corridors. For a country targeting rapid industrial expansion under Dira 2050, the significance of this infrastructure cannot be overstated.
Beyond stabilising supply, investments in the national grid are poised to reduce operational losses, cut the cost of electricity, and unlock private-sector growth in sectors such as agro-processing, cement production, steel manufacturing, digital services and transport electrification.
With more than 3,000MW expected to be online once JNHPP is fully commissioned and new renewable projects come online, Tanzania is positioning itself to become one of Africa’s most energy-secure economies – capable of supporting large-scale investment and powering future generations. As Minister Ndejembi noted, the reforms and projects underway are not only about today’s demand – they are about building an energy system strong enough for tomorrow’s Tanzania.
