Tanzania: Zanzibar Eying Marine Renewables as Reliable Power Source

Zanzibar President Ali Mohamed Shein officially launched a new 100 megawatts marine cable line from the national grid (Tanzania mainland) on April 10, a sign of energy progress which is expected to lead Zanzibar towards its own “reliable power”.

At the celebration of this move, some members of the Zanzibar House of Representatives urged the government to search for Zanzibar’s own energy resource, as the power demand is growing and hydroelectricity is an unstable source, Tanzania Daily News informs.

“Zanzibar government should invest in other sources of power such as solar, wind, sea waves, and power generation from wastes. We should have sufficient electricity from all sources instead of relying only on the national grid,” the news site quotes members of the House as saying.

This USD 68 million project was funded by the U.S. through its Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC), Zanzibar Government and the Zanzibar Electricity Corporation (ZECO).

[mappress]

Offshore WIND Staff, April 26, 2013; Image: zanzibarpackage