Tanzania turns off power plants due to excess supply

Authorities in Tanzania have shut down five hydroelectric stations in a bid to reduce excess electricity in the national grid, the country’s Prime Minister, Kassim Majaliwa, has said.

Majaliwa said the main plant, Mwalimu Nyerere Hydroelectric Station, alone generated enough electricity to power major cities, including Dar es Salaam, the country’s commercial hub.

It is the first time Tanzania, which suffers chronic power shortages, has closed hydroelectric stations due to excess production. 

“We have turned off all these stations because the demand is low and the electricity production is too much, we have no allocation now,” an official from state-run power company, Tanesco, said.

The 2,115MW Julius Nyerere Hydropower Dam is said to be almost filled with water following heavy rains that started early this year.

Meanwhile, while the country has an installed capacity of 1,938MW and the grid installed capacity of 1,899MW, Nigeria which has an installed capacity of 13,000MW is struggling to electrify 85 per cent of its electricity consumers.

Recall that the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC) recently announced a hike in the tariff of 15 per cent of highbrow electricity users. 

The users who enjoy 20 to 24 hours of electricity supply are prioritised by Electricity Distribution Companies, leaving the remaining 85 per cent in darkness.