TANZANIA 

Tanzania is the largest country in East Africa and has plenty of admirable qualities, including its beautiful national parks and mountains. 

However, its energy landscape is another story… 

Electrification rates in Tanzania sat just below 40% in 2020 — something it has struggled to improve in recent years, after failing to meet previous targets and cancelling various renewable initiatives. 

Hope is not lost, though, as the country updated its energy policy in 2022, and has its sights set on achieving a 6GW renewable energy capacity by 2025. Plus, Tanzania has no import duties on PV panels and no VAT on solar equipment. A licence is also not required for projects below 1MW. 

As for PV projects, there are a number of plants and farms in the pipeline… 

PLANNED PROJECTS 

A 150MW PV project entered development in July 2022, with the potential to have a significant impact on energy supplies in the Simiyu and Mwanza regions of the Kishapu district.  

Funded by the Tanzanian government and Agence Française de Développement (AFD), officials said the first phase of the project would begin in November 2022, delivering 50MW of electricity, and that it would reach completion by the end of 2023. 

The state-owned Tanzania Electric Supply Company (TANESCO) and Madsar, a clean energy company from the United Arab Emirates, also agreed to produce 2GW of clean energy through PV plants with a combined capacity of 600MWp in August 2022.   

The 18MW Zesta Makunduchi PV park, which entered discussions in early 2022, is set for completion in 2023 and will enter commercial operation in 2025. 

SegenSolar is keen to foster the development of additional small and large-scale PV installations across Tanzania. If you are a homeowner, you can get in touch for more details about our work. If you are an installer, you can explore our range on the portal — just log in or sign up for a free account