52 bidders scramble for Tanesco’s 150 MW solar project

Dar es Salaam. The Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited (Tanesco) has received 52 bids from both local and international solar developers as it seeks to construct large-scale solar PV projects in six regions.

The proposed solar plants will have the capacity of generating 150 MW upon their completion, a Tanesco report disclosed yesterday.

According to the leaked report showing the short-list of bidders, copy of which was availed to The Citizen, local solar operators were leading by producing 9 bidders, followed by China (8) and United Kingdom (5).

Reached for comment over the phone on Wednesday, December 12, Tanesco managing director Tito Mwinuka said he was not in the position to divulge details of the tendering process.

In September, Tanesco issued a call for qualification for the construction of several large-scale PV projects with a combined capacity of 150 MW to be implemented across six regions.

The power utility further instructed interested bidders to submit their project proposals by October 19.

The regions that have been earmarked for the project are Dodoma, Singida, Shinyanga, Mwanza, Simiyu and Iringa.

The power utility aims to procure power generation from the solar plants in the next two years.

The selected projects will be between 20 MW and 50 MW in size, and developers will have to undertake feasibility studies and finance, build, own, operate and transfer the power.

If implemented, the tender scheme would be the first real attempt to bring large-scale solar in the country.

In addition, Tanzania has so far implemented mini-grid solar projects to improve the accessibility of power to all.