AfDB approves hydropower project loan
Published by Sarah Smith,
Assistant Editor
Energy Global,
The Board of Directors of the African Development Bank have approved a US$120 million loan to fund the construction of a 50 MW hydropower plant in Western Tanzania that will provide reliable renewable energy to households, schools, clinics and small and medium-sized enterprises in the Kigoma Region.
The Malagarasi Hydropower Project has several components: a run-of-the-river hydropower plant facility; a 54 km, 132 kV transmission line that will connect to Tanzania’s national grid; a distribution network expansion operation that includes rural electrification and last-mile connections; project management and contract administration support; and compensation and resettlement of affected persons.
The project’s overall project cost is estimated at US$144.14 million. The bulk of the funding (US$120 million) will be sourced from the Bank Group’s sovereign window, with an additional US$20 million contributed by the Africa Growing Together Fund – a co-financing fund with resources from the government of the People’s Republic of China that is administered by the Bank. The Government of Tanzania will provide the remaining US$4.14 million.
The hydropower plant’s expected average annual output of 181 GWh will meet the electricity needs of as many as 133 649 Kigoma households, bringing the region’s electrification rate more closely in line with the rest of the country.
The project is expected to create about 700 jobs during construction, cut the region’s electricity generation costs to approximately US$0.04/kWh from the current US$0.33/kWh, and also reduce reliance on greenhouse gas-emitting fossil fuels. The cost of doing business will also fall because industry will no longer need to maintain costly back-up generators.
The project aligns with Tanzania’s national Development Vision 2025 and its Second Five-Year Development Plan (2016/17 - 2020/21) and complements other regional initiatives, including the North West Grid 400 kV Nyakanazi-Kigoma transmission line project, which the Bank is financing in parallel with the South Korea Economic Development Co-operation Fund.
The Malagarasi project will also directly contribute to the Bank’s Light Up & Power Africa High-5 development priority, which is being implemented through the institution’s New Deal on Energy for Africa strategy.
Read the article online at: https://www.energyglobal.com/other-renewables/27112020/afdb-approves-hydropower-project-loan/
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