DEPUTY Prime Minister and Minister for Energy Dr Doto Biteko has instructed Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited (Tanesco) to take advantage of the current power surplus to carry out essential maintenance of its machinery.

Dr Biteko made the call in Dar es Salaam at the weekend when he visited and inspected operations at the Ubungo I, Ubungo II, and Ubungo III power stations, as well as the Grid Control Centre.

He instructed Tanesco to ensure that maintenance on electrical infrastructure is conducted regularly to ensure reliable electricity for Tanzanians, adding that it was time to conduct maintenance on machinery at the Kidatu, Kihansi, and Mtera hydropower stations.

“Through Tanesco, we will continue to work towards providing reliable electricity to all Tanzanians,” Dr Biteko said.

He said that Tanesco nears completion of maintenance work on the Northern Zone power lines to improve electricity availability and expressed gratitude to residents in those areas for their patience during the maintenance period.

He said the power sufficiency was partly due to the progress of the Julius Nyerere Hydro-power Project (JNHPP), where three turbines have already been connected to the national grid, with the fourth turbine expected to be operational later this month.

Additionally, three turbines at the Rusumo project are also operational.

Deogratius Mariwa, Tanesco’s Director of Systems Control, said that Tanesco was improving its grid system to meet current needs by constructing five regional grid control centers along with additional facilities to assist during power outages.

Mariwa reported that the company was upgrading its grid system to meet growing demands.

This includes constructing five new regional grid control centers and additional facilities to support power outage management.

He outlined plans to add 20 more stations in the next three years and connect the grid systems with Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, and eventually Mozambique to enhance electricity supply.

The new stations will be located in Arusha, Mwanza, Dar es Salaam, Mbeya, and Dodoma regions, with contractor selection currently underway.

He also said that there are currently 67 grid stations in operation.

The visit was also attended by the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Energy Felchesmi Mramba, his deputy Dr James Mataragio, and Tanesco management.