Construction works on the Lake Ngozi geothermal
plant in Mbeya Region Tanzania has been slated to commence in 2021. This is
according to the Tanzania Geothermal Development Company (TGDC).
Speaking during a recent workshop for Parliamentary
Committee on Energy and Minerals members, the TGDC General Manager, Kato
Kabaka, said the government had already spent US $8.7bn for the purchase of a drilling
machine at the project site.
The first geothermal project in the country is
expected to produce 200MW of power from geothermal energy resources by 2025.
Currently, there are 50 areas that are considered to have potential for
geothermal development.
Talamayeri Njukava, TGDC technical director said that
a team of experts had proven that Lake Ngozi was fit enough for geothermal
power generation. The lake will be a geothermal source together with other
regions such as Songwe, Mbaka and Kiejo.
The lake’s temperature is not less than 230°C with
a PPM 1450 chloride making it suitable for the project. According to Mr.
Segeja, TGDC will drill three wells in Lake Ngozi that would be later connected
to the main grid.
“We were awarded a certificate from the National
Environmental Management after an environmental assessment was conducted,” Eng.
Kato Kabaka added.
The project is set to be a first of its kind in the
country and will play a key role in addressing the power woes in a country that
relies heavily on hydro-power and gas.
Only 24% of the Tanzania population have access to
electricity but the demand for electricity in Tanzania is estimated to grow at
10 to 15% in every year.
TGDC is a government company that was incorporated for the specific purpose of leading the geothermal development resources in Tanzania. The company is a subsidiary company of TANESCO.
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