The initiative will link the Tanzanian grid with Zambia’s grid.
On April 11, 2025, Achim Fock, World Bank country manager for Zambia, announced the project’s restart during a signing ceremony in Zambia. He emphasized its potential, stating: “An integrated market connecting Southern and East African power pools would lower electricity costs, enhance energy security, and foster trade and investment opportunities in Africa’s power sector.”
The $320 million project, supported by the World Bank, the European Union, and Britain, is slated for completion by 2028. Acting Finance Minister Chipoka Mulenga noted that the remaining work, costing $298 million, includes a $245 million grant from the World Bank.
Proposed over a decade ago, the project faced setbacks due to the Covid-19 pandemic and Zambia’s debt challenges in 2020. It involves building a 620km, 400kV double circuit transmission line from Iringa, Tanzania, to the Zambian border, extending to Sumbawanga. A substation at Tunduma, near the border, will link the Tanzanian and Zambian grids.
The interconnector will improve electricity reliability in southwestern Tanzania, replacing a 5MW diesel-powered mini-grid near Sumbawanga. It will also reduce Tanzania’s dependence on Zambian power imports. Other benefits include minimizing line losses between Iringa and Mbeya, strengthening power supply from future plants in southern Tanzania, and creating a transmission corridor linking Ethiopia, Kenya, and Tanzania to Southern Africa through Zambia.
The project aligns with Zambia’s recent efforts to restructure its debt, serving as a model for collaboration with international creditors. By integrating regional power networks, the initiative is expected to lower costs, boost energy stability, and encourage investment in Africa’s energy sector.
