We’re switching off all hydro-power plants: minister

Dodoma. The government said yesterday it will switch off all hydro-power plants because of falling water levels that have reduced electricity generation capacity by 80 per cent. Energy and minerals minister George Simbachawene said here yesterday that the government has no option but to take the unprecedented move, adding that present water levels are the worst since the country’s independence.

He called on Tanzanians to be patient in the wake of the debilitating power crisis while giving the reassurance that the situation will normalise in the next two weeks as some gas plants will be switched on.

The current power consumption for the country is 870 megawatts but production capacity recorded as of Wednesday was 105 Megawatts. The capacity can go up to 135 Megawatts when some generators were switched on.

He clarified that given the current situation, power shedding was unavoidable.

“Since we gained independence we have never run out of water to the levels we are seeing today. We must make this most difficult decision of completely switching off the hydro-power plants,” Mr Simbachawene stated.  He said some power dams were in the brink of totally drying up.

The minister pointed out that Kidatu hydropower generation had now gone down from 204 to 27 megawatts, Mtera (from 80 to 9), Kihansi (from 180 to 45) and Pangani (from 68 to 25).

He said the government had been forced to find an alternative power supply including using the new find of gas which could largely cushion the shortage of power.

“I would like to repeat a statement I made on September 17, this year, that this problem will come to an end on 20 October, this year; I’m saying this because it is only recently we were able to transmit 55 bars of gas from Mtwara to Dar es Salaam as gas generators are now being switched on in phases,” Simbachawene said.

He revealed that the Kinyerezi gas plant will produce 70 Megawatts to go into the national grid.

He added that low water levels in power dams including Kapunga and Mtera dams, were mainly caused by irrigation in rice plantations, saying there will come a time we will have to decide to close down the plantations so we can have a reliable power.

Tanesco switches off Mtera plant

Tanzania Electric Supply Company (Tanesco) has decided to switch off its major Mtera hydro-power plant after water levels needed to run the plant went down drastically.

The current water level is 687.53 meters from sea level as one needed to efficiently run the plant.

Speaking to reporters at the plant yesterday, Mtera plant manager, Mr Abdallah Ikwasa, said the facility has been switched off  for more than a week.

“We have decided to switch it off so that our power generators remain safe. This is because if we switch it on at this low level, air will flow into the generators, something which is sure to damage them.

“We don’t expect to switch them until when the rains start falling, that’s why the government has decided to start counting on gas generated  electricity and fuel turbines since water is not a permanently reliable source,” said Mr Ikwasa while showing the reporters how the water levels had gone down.

He said when the Mtera Dam is producing at its full capacity of 698.5 meters, it can provide 80MW which are transmitted directly to the national grid.