Tanzania has begun rationing electricity due to a drop in hydroelectric output after a severe drought, the national power company said on Thursday (November 24), with some areas facing nine-hour blackouts.
The East African country can produce nearly 1,695 megawatts of power from hydroelectricity and natural gas, among other sources.
But it is currently facing a shortfall of 300 to 350 megawatts, said Maharage Chande, managing director of Tanesco, the national power company.
"There are two main reasons for the drop in production: a prolonged drought and ongoing maintenance of certain sites," he told reporters in the economic capital Dar es Salaam.
For instance, the Morogoro (southeast) region's Kihansi site has seen its production capacity drop from 180 megawatts to just 17 megawatts.
Tanzania has been attempting to increase the amount of hydroelectricity it produces in recent years, particularly since the contentious Julius Nyerere Dam was built in the Selous Reserve and was expected to generate about 2,100 megawatts.
The nation has experienced low rainfall and a delayed rainy season, similar to its neighbours, which prompted authorities to impose water rationing in Dar es Salaam last month.
Kenya, Ethiopia, and Somalia, which are dealing with the worst drought in decades, are experiencing an even more dramatic situation.
Rasheed is a Prolific Content Writer who also has a niche in all Genres of Literature, Academic Pape...
0 Comment(s)
SPONSORED
HEADLINE
TRENDING