Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited (TANESCO) has signed a TZS 204.7 billion (approximately US$77.3 million) contract with Sagemcom Energy & Telecom SAS and STEG International Services for the construction of the second phase of the Kishapu Solar Power Project, which will add 100 megawatts (MW) of solar generation capacity to the national grid.
The agreement was signed on July 27 in the presence of Minister of Energy Hon. Deogratius J. Ndejembi and Deputy Minister, Hon. Salome Makamba.
The second phase of the project will be developed in Ngunga, Kishapu District, located in Tanzania’s Shinyanga Region.
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Hon. Ndejembi said the Kishapu Solar Power Project supports the government’s broader strategy of diversifying the country’s electricity generation sources while increasing access to dependable and affordable renewable energy.
He explained that the project is being executed in two phases with a combined installed capacity of 150 MW.
The initial phase, which will generate 50 MW, was undertaken at a cost of TZS 118.3 billion and is now in its final stages of construction.
Work on the second phase officially commenced following the signing of the implementation contract. The 100 MW expansion will cost TZS 204.7 billion, bringing the total investment in the Kishapu Solar Power Project to about TZS 323 billion.
The government said the project will strengthen Tanzania’s renewable energy portfolio, improve the reliability of the national electricity grid and help meet the country’s increasing demand for power.