• TANESCO completes first phase of 50 MW solar park in Shinyanga

• €39 million first phase backed by AFD financing

• Second phase to add 100 MW as Tanzania seeks to diversify energy mix

Tanzania Electric Supply Company (TANESCO) announced on Saturday, February 21, the completion of the first phase of the Kishapu solar project in the Shinyanga region of northwestern Tanzania. According to TANESCO’s managing director, Lazaro Twange, the full 50 MW from this phase will be connected to the national grid by March 1, 2026.

The project is described as the largest solar park of its kind ever developed in the country. The first phase required 118.6 billion Tanzanian shillings (about €39 million), mobilized with support from the French Development Agency (AFD).

“This is a new chapter in our country’s energy history. For the first time since Independence, Tanzania has completed a solar power project of this magnitude connected to the National Grid. By March 1, 2026, a total of 50 MW will be connected to the national grid,” Twange said.

The Kishapu project had previously faced lengthy delays, with authorities citing constraints related to integrating solar generation into the national grid. The broader €130 million financing agreement signed with AFD includes measures to modernize transmission and distribution networks and strengthen power system management capacity.

TANESCO also said it is in the final stages of selecting a contractor for the second phase of the project, which will add an additional 100 MW at an estimated cost of 200.4 billion Tanzanian shillings.

In 2023, natural gas accounted for about 63% of Tanzania’s installed power capacity, according to official data. Expanding solar generation forms part of the country’s strategy to diversify its energy mix and strengthen energy security.

Abdoullah Diop