Josiah Habwe, general manager for Tanzania and Uganda, energy business at Schneider Electric (Image source: Schneider Electric)

Tanzania is entering a new energy era, and an exciting one at that, writes Josiah Habwe, general manager for Tanzania and Uganda, energy business at Schneider Electric

With the full commissioning of the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project (JNHPP) in early 2025, Tanzania’s energy landscape is set to undergo a dramatic transformation.

The 2,115MW facility, situated on the Rufiji River, within the Selous Game Reserve, is one of the largest hydropower plants in sub-Saharan Africa and boosts the country’s installed capacity to over 4,000MW.

With all nine turbines operational, each generating 235MW, Tanzania has undoubtedly taken an all-important step towards energy self-sufficiency and grid reliability, and importantly, the delivery of affordable energy for both households and businesses.

The New Energy landscape

Before the JNHPP plant went live, Tanzania had — according to the Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority (EWURA) — a total installed capacity of 2,411.33MW, of which 2,372.96MW came from the national grid and 38.37MW from off-grid systems.

Now, with the addition of the JNHPP’s energy generation, Tanzania is creating opportunities to expand access, lower costs, and accelerate electrification. In fact, JNHPP allows the national utility, Tanesco (Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited) to reduce reliance on expensive, carbon-intensive diesel generation, improving voltage stability and reducing outages.

However, and this is important to note, off-grid systems like microgrids will remain critical in bridging the access gap, particularly for remote communities.

Integrating advanced, digital tools

Generation, like most countries across the world, is only one part of the energy equation. In order for Tanzania to truly harness this new capacity, its transmission and distribution must be up to the task.

Currently, the transmission network spans 7,524km of lines and 67 substations, while distribution networks extend across 188,266km, mostly operated by Tanesco.

It is here where digitisation can become an invaluable tool in optimising the country’s transmission and distribution networks. For one, Advanced Distribution Management System (ADMS) can provide utilities with real-time monitoring, automated outage management, and optimisation tools.

ADMS integrates SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition, DMS (Distribution Management Systems) and OMS (Outage Management System) into a single platform and can help Tanzania’s utilities modernise operations, improve grid flexibility, and prepare for the integration of distributed energy resources (DERs).

Modernising a sustainable infrastructure

It is also important that Tanzania continues to strengthen its sustainability efforts and resultant steps toward net zero with greener energy infrastructure. Here, solutions like Schneider Electric’s AirSeT series SF6-free medium voltage switchgear along with automation and grid optimisation solutions, creates cleaner, more resilient power systems.

And coupled with microgrids, these technologies can enhance resilience for industries, data centres and essential services, while ensuring communities remain powered even in times of grid instability.

Community access to energy

Tanzania’s enhanced energy infrastructures should also extend to include human development. Initiatives like Schneider Electric’s Access to Energy Programmes support individual, domestic, and community electrification through solutions like Mobiya (individual solar lamps), Homaya (domestic systems), and Villaya (collective microgrids).

Mobiya Solar Lamps are:

Portable, affordable, and durable and provide clean lighting for individuals in off-grid settings.

Ideal for students, vendors, and mobile workers, they replace kerosene lamps and candles, reducing health risks and fire hazards.

Rechargeable via solar panels, they support night-time productivity, safety, and education.

Homaya Solar Home Systems:

Designed for rural households, Homaya systems combine solar panels, in-built batteries, and multiple lighting points.

They power basic appliances (fans, radios, TVs) and support both AC and DC loads, adapting to local energy needs.

Homaya enables energy independence, reducing reliance on unreliable or expensive grid extensions.

Villaya Microgrids:

Villaya solutions are pre-configured solar microgrids that serve entire communities, schools, clinics, or agricultural hubs.

They integrate smart monitoring, pre-payment systems, and load management, ensuring sustainability and accountability.

Villaya supports productive use of energy—from water pumping to refrigeration—boosting livelihoods and local economies.

Indeed, by coupling energy with education and entrepreneurship, these initiatives are helping underserved communities in Tanzania move towards greater social and economic inclusion.

Ultimately, Tanzania’s energy sector is making positive strides, with a clear trajectory towards greater capacity, reliability, and sustainable energy for all.

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Ethio Telecom and Huawei launch Africa’s first Solar-on-Tower, driving cleaner energy in telecom networks

Ethio Telecom, in partnership with Huawei, has announced the successful commercial rollout and steady operation of Africa’s first Solar-on-Tower solutions

The initiative represents a major step forward in Ethio Telecom’s strategy to transition toward a green, low carbon future. It aims to expand clean energy use, establish greener networks, and set a new technological milestone for the African telecommunications industry.

The Solar-on-Tower concept integrates photovoltaic panels directly onto telecom towers, offering a practical solution to the challenges of limited land availability and restricted space for solar installations in urban areas.

The first installation allowed the site to generate and consume its own solar power within just two days. Initial results show that solar power at these sites can last up to four hours, while diesel generator use has been reduced from six hours to two hours, equating to a 40% cut in fuel consumption per site.

In Addis Ababa, where thousands of telecom sites face space restrictions, adopting traditional ground mounted photovoltaic systems is not feasible. Solar-on-Tower therefore emerges as the first viable solution to enable Africa’s telecom sector to replace conventional energy sources with renewable power in such space limited scenarios.

Looking ahead, Ethio Telecom and Huawei plan to continue working together to develop high quality ICT energy infrastructure. Their shared goal is to promote greener, low carbon networks and enhance the resilience of telecom systems across the region.

The Sinovoltaics Middle East and Africa Solar Supply Chain Map currently identifies 27 factory sites. (Image source: Sinovoltaics)

For the first time, Sinovoltaics, a Hong Kong-based technical compliance and quality assurance firm, has unveiled a dedicated Solar Supply Chain Map for the Middle East and Africa

The map highlights the regions’ advancing ambitions to achieve full vertical integration in solar PV manufacturing. Covering the entire value chain, from polysilicon production to module assembly, the initiative underscores the growing role of the Middle East and Africa as supply hubs for both domestic demand and international markets, particularly in Europe and sub-Saharan Africa.

At present, the regions’ nameplate capacity includes 3.4 GW of PV modules, 2.5 GWof solar cells, and 8.05 GW of ingot production. Looking ahead to 2030, ambitious growth targets have been set. Projections indicate the Middle East and Africa could reach 62.12 GW of module manufacturing, 52.55 GW of solar cell capacity, 45 GW of polysilicon production, and 290,000 tons of metallurgical-grade silicon.

“This manufacturing expansion is designed to close supply gaps in regional markets and North America, where limited upstream solar component production and low tariffs create strong demand. Although challenges remain, such as grid infrastructure limitations and logistical bottlenecks, the MENA region’s solar manufacturing capacity is poised for significant growth,” said Dricus de Rooij, CEO and co-founder of Sinovoltaics.

While much of the planned capacity is being supported by Chinese companies, the Middle East and Africa are gradually positioning themselves as alternative suppliers to Southeast Asia, which has traditionally dominated global solar exports. With their strategic geographic location, the regions are well-placed to serve European markets and could also provide exports to North America depending on U.S. trade policies. However, South African modules still face a 30% tariff in the United States, limiting near-term opportunities.

The Sinovoltaics Middle East and Africa Solar Supply Chain Map currently identifies 27 factory sites. The report offers comprehensive details on facilities producing PV modules, solar cells, wafers, ingots, polysilicon, and metallurgical-grade silicon. Based largely on public announcements, this new resource provides valuable insights for industry stakeholders into the rapid industrialisation of the solar sector in the regions and is available for free download.

For comparative analysis of Asia’s solar manufacturing industry, including Southeast Asia, readers are encouraged to refer to Sinovoltaics’ Southeast Asia Solar Supply Chain Map.

Hybrid power solutions for Africa

Edith Kikonyogo, managing director – Africa at Aggreko talks resources, energy instability and the growing need for sustainable solutions that lower costs and reduce downtime

The cost of electricity in sub-Saharan Africa is 3,188% of income per capita, making it the highest globally and nearly 3.5 times the cost of the next highest region, South Asia.

While precise continent-wide gross domestic product (GDP) loss figures aren’t universally agreed on, the World Bank and a variety of academic institutions agree that unreliable and expensive energy supply is a significant inhibitor of competitiveness and economic growth.

For industrial operators across mining, manufacturing and oil and gas, reliable and cost-effective energy is both a development challenge and a risk multiplier – manufacturing enterprises experience an average of 56 days a year in power outages.

Energy instability increases downtime, inflates costs, and reduces competitiveness, and with grid unreliability and fuel price volatility becoming the norm rather than the exception, companies want options that give them both a sustainable foothold and a strategic advantage.

Hybrid systems, as a result, have become increasingly popular. They combine solar energy, battery storage and thermal generation to deliver a flexible, reliable and cost-effective energy supply.

They allow companies to generate power independently of the grid while smoothing out the intermittency challenges often associated with renewables.

Solar energy provides near-zero marginal cost electricity once installed with batteries storing surplus generation while helping to balance the load. Diesel and gas generators then act as fast-response backup solutions in the event solar is not sufficient. Combined, these three solutions provide operators with the agility to manage costs and guarantee uptime in even the harshest or most remote environments.

According to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), the global weighted average levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) from utility-scale solar PV fell by approximately 90% between 2010 and 2023, with a further 12% drop in 2023 alone.

In high-irradiance African countries, recent studies and project data show that the LCOE for utility-scale solar PV can reach as low as $0.04 per kWh, particularly in regions with strong solar resources and favourable financing, such as northern Ghana and parts of Botswana and Namibia.

For industrial operators, the financial upside of a hybrid system reliant on solar and with stable backup is clear. Clients switching to solar-plus-battery configurations can potentially save fuel costs of up to 15%, depending on irradiance, contract length and generator runtime. When the solution is extended across a multi-site operation, those savings can represent hundreds of thousands of dollars a year.

Beyond fuel, hybrid systems also reduce maintenance costs and fewer generator hours mean less wear and tear, longer service intervals and a lower chance of unplanned outages.

Battery storage smooths power delivery which allows thermal units to run at optimal loads rather than inefficient partial loads. The payoff is lower operational expenditure, more predictable cost curves and significantly improved uptime.

Uptime is Africa’s real competitive advantage. Uptime equals revenue, whether this is pumping water, refining ore or processing crops – the difference between 98% and 85% uptime is significant.

Hybrid systems directly improve this percentage and energy resilience. During peak solar hours, battery charging maximises renewable usage. At night or in overcast conditions, stored energy is dispatched first with thermal generators providing final backup, providing a layered architecture that ensures power continuity even during generator failures or sudden weather shifts.

In the context of Africa’s often fragile grids which are prone to loadshedding and voltage dips, control over energy is a lifeline, and an asset.

The climate case for hybrid power is also strong. Africa contributes just 3.9% of global carbon emissions but is among the hardest hit by climate shocks. As companies face increased scrutiny over their Scope 1 and 2 emissions, hybrid solutions provide a tangible way of decarbonising without compromising operational goals.

Aggreko’s hybrid model ensures companies achieve measurable emissions reductions by replacing diesel with solar and implementing smart controls that optimise generator loading and avoid inefficient idling. Introducing systems-level thinking, Aggreko helps companies manage costs and climate responsibilities with solutions that are scalable, modular and adaptable to Africa’s varied terrain and operational requirements. Unlike pure renewables which can be vulnerable to intermittency, or standalone thermal which is exposed to fuel price shocks, hybrid systems offer a practical middle ground.

From mining in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to agriculture in Zambia, hybrid energy installations are helping African operators move away from reactive energy spending and towards forward-planned, performance-driven power systems. And while many providers support this shift, success depends on hardware, systems design, local experience and the ability to manage complex energy flows in real-time – and that’s where Aggreko’s expertise makes the difference.

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