Zambian Firm Plans $100m Power Link to Tanzania
A Zambian energy trading company is planning to invest about $100 million in a high-voltage power transmission line linking Zambia and Tanzania, a move expected to strengthen electricity supply for the country’s power-hungry mining sector.
Kanona Power Company said the proposed transmission line, which would be the first direct electricity link between the two neighbouring countries, is expected to take about a year to construct. The project could be completed well ahead of a larger World Bank-financed regional interconnector currently under development.
The planned line will connect Mwakibete in south-western Tanzania to Nakonde, a border town in north-eastern Zambia. According to the company, the project will complement a larger interconnector being developed jointly by the Zambian and Tanzanian governments.
The initiative comes at a critical time for Zambia’s mining industry, particularly copper producers seeking reliable alternative power sources. Zambia relies heavily on hydropower, and a severe drought in 2024 triggered the country’s worst energy crisis on record, the effects of which are still being felt.
A spokesperson for Kanona Power said the project would not only increase Zambia’s ability to import electricity but also strengthen the resilience of the national grid.
“The transmission line will enhance capacity for imported power and create additional redundancy to improve grid stability and security of supply,” the spokesperson said.
Interest in regional power interconnections has been growing across Africa, as countries look to move electricity from areas with surplus generation to those experiencing shortages. Last year, the World Bank committed financing for a high-voltage transmission line linking Uganda and Tanzania as part of broader efforts to strengthen regional power markets.
Kanona Power, which was incorporated in 2023, has quickly positioned itself as a significant electricity trader in Zambia’s energy sector.
Meanwhile, the larger Zambia–Tanzania interconnector, backed by $245 million in World Bank funding, has been under planning for more than a decade and is expected to begin operations around 2028.
