Tanzania’s minister of energy and minerals, Sospeter Muhongo, ordered the drilling of three geothermal holes around Lake Ngozi. These wells will allow the country to produce its first geothermal kilowatts. “We cannot continue waiting due to the elevated shortage of the country experiences while the Rift Valley covers a significant portion of our territory,” he said.

Indeed, the country holds a geothermal potential of 5000 MW distributed over about fifty sites. These sites are grouped into three areas which are the North in the Kilimandjaro, Arusha and Mara regions, the South in the Rukwa and Mbeya regions and the Eastern coastal belt mainly associated with the Rufiji valley basin.

These areas will be explored in respect to public-private partnerships which will allow for the implementation of geothermal plants of a total capacity of 200 MW by 2020.

Three private firms, Symbion Tanzania included, are already interested by the sector.

“We invite other potential investors to chip in and invest in this area which has proved to produce reliable and sustainable power,” said Muhongo. He also reaffirmed government’s commitment to help Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation implement the Lake Ngozi project.

Gwladys Johnson