National Grid Is Now Powered By 30 MW of Small Power Producers

Posted on : Thursday , 30th May 2024

According to The Rural Energy Agency (REA), the nation's small-scale power producers and developers have generated and added more than 30 megawatts to the national grid.

Advera Mwijage, the Director of REA for Renewable Energy Technologies, made this revelation in Dar es Salaam during a conference aimed at advising small-scale power producers of renewable energy projects on how to submit applications for funding to support project development and investment.  

In accordance to Mwijage, the nation's small producers and developers are employing renewable energy technology to generate electricity, and the over 30 megawatts of power they have produced so far have been integrated into the national grid. The government, working with the World Bank and REA, has given small developers a grant of thirty billion dollars to support their research on energy-generating projects, which they would then use to power their communities and sell to the national grid.  

One of the REA's duties is to help small-scale private power project developers in the nation produce, sell, and deliver electricity to the grid and to residents in places where it hasn't been distributed.  

During his speech, he said that the developers had been requested to provide guidance on how to apply for bank-provided cash and how to submit applications to REA for subsidies to create projects.  

Speaking on behalf of TIB Bank, Mwaijage stated, "We have invited the banks to listen to how they can partner with these producers to provide funds."

According to him, the project's funding have helped more than fifteen producers thus far. Project Manager of Yovi Hydropower in Mbeya Region, Father Agustino Kulowoga, discussed the benefits the company has experienced. He mentioned that to begin the project, REA provided them with $100,000 US.  

The director of SSI Energy Company, Steven Maselle, expressed gratitude to REA for the subsidies provided for a solar power generation project in Kahama Shinyanga. The project is expected to begin producing 10 megawatts in December of this year.