Dar Pushes to Get New Gas Power Generators

THE government is negotiating with development partners to get new

 electricity generators that will use natural gas to boost power generation and curb current outages in the country, President Jakaya Kikwete has said.

 He stated that there are partners who are ready to work with Tanzania to bring in the generators, noting that if the government succeeds in the endeavour, the natural gas flowing in to Kinyerezi will be capable of producing 3,000 megawatts.

Mr Kikwete made the remarks at a joint press conference with visiting Namibian President Hage Geingob. “This is very precarious situation given the fact that we have lost 500mw from hydropower generation.

That is why we are working with partners to see how we can quickly bring in new generators that will use natural gas,” he explained. He affirmed that once all power plants; Kinyerezi II, III and IV are up and running, power blues in the country will be history.

The president revealed that soon he will be laying the foundation stone for the construction of the iron ore mining and smelting projects at the Mchuchuma Coal and Liganga and to kick start the project of power generation from coal and iron ore.

“This is another huge project, costing 1.5 US billion dollars and soon work will begin on this project as well,” he said. Explaining the genesis of power problems that forced the government to take steps to get alternative and sustainable power generation sources, President Kikwete said the country had been dependant on hydropower generation since independence, which is susceptible to weather changes.

Due to weather fluctuations caused by climate change, including unreliable rains and frequent droughts, the hydropower generation dams could not accumulate the amount of water needed to produce.

He said Kidatu, which is the largest hydropower generating dam with capacity of 204mw is currently producing 27mw, Kihansi with a capacity of 180mw, is producing 45mw, Pangani Falls with a capacity of 68mw is producing between 21mw to 25mw only and Mtera with capacity of producing 80mw has been closed, losing all the 80mw.

“The first minimum level where we should be getting worried is 690 meter above sea level, the dam went to 688, but when it reached 87, it had to be closed.

Otherwise continuing to general power, mud would be sucked into the blades killing the electricity station, altogether the Mtera Dam was built to act as a water reservoir for power generation at Kidatu. I don’t know how long Kidatu will continue to produce power, since water at the reservoir is depleted,” he explained.

Mr Kikwete noted that this was a problem that had been present before and after he assumed office and will continue on to the next administration. He said once the government undertook to diversify sources of energy, it has never looked back, noting that fortunately the nation is blessed with natural gas and coal.

“Since the quickest to embark on was natural gas, which only needed a pipeline, fastest treat the gas, feed it into generators and generate the power. We decided to build the 600km pipeline at a cost of 1.2 US billion dollars loan from China.

The pipeline is ready and the gas has now reached Kinyerezi,” the president proudly stated. He added that the Kinyerezi I Power Plant has started producing 70mw electricity, to increase to 150mw later this week.

Culled from Daily News