Pinda upbeat on power supply in SADC...

Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda is optimistic that lighting the 1,247,000 square kilometer Southern African Development Community (SADC) region is possible, if only there is favourable investment climate.

In his opening speech at the fifth annual conference of the SADC Regional Electricity Regulators Association (RERA) here yesterday, Pinda said smart partnership was crucial for achieving the goal.

``Sustainable power supply is possible given a good investment climate that allows for a smart partnership between governments, power utilities as well as the private sector in the development and implementation of generation, transmission and distribution programs and projects,`` he said.

The Premier said that with the investment atmosphere supported by co-operation among countries in various regional settings, it was possible to develop effective regional power projects.

If developed, he said, the projects would pave way to creation of large scale programmes, bigger markets, thus making the plan to light the region economically viable.

``Not many countries can have enough financial resources to develop large scale projects alone. Whereas a large scale project may enjoy economies of scale, a country may be faced with the problem of lack of market, if it develops in isolation,`` Pinda said.

He said Africa experienced power shortages mainly due to lack of timely investment, drought and overdependence on hydropower.

``We need to develop the energy resources in the continent such as hydropower, coal, natural gas and other indigenous sources`` PM explained.

Other measures are to implement interconnectivity pools among group of countries as well as creating regional interconnection between region pools.

The current status of power supply within the SADC region, which has installed capacity of 54,742 MW of which only 46,391 MW is available. However the peak demand is about 44,000 MW.

Available records show that although a new generation project amounting to 1,810 MW was commissioned in the region last year, with the reserve margin still deficit against a required reserve margin of 10 percent.

The PM said if the Inga III Project, with capacity to generate over 4,000 MW in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) would be jointly developed, it would help a great deal in supporting most of the stunting economies due to lack of power.

Angola, Botswana, Namibia, the DRC and South Africa formed Westcor, as a joint venture company, which seeks to exploit the potential in hydropower offered by the Inga River.

``The Grand Inga scheme with capacity of 39,000MW, but if also jointly developed, could serve the big part south of the Sahara Region, northern Africa and even feed surplus power into Southern Europe,`` Pinda said.

SOURCE: GUARDIAN, November 13, 2008

Pinda ataka wawekazajii wa umeme

WAZIRI Mkuu wa Tanzania, Mizengo Pinda amezita nchi wananchama wa Mamlaka za Udhibiti wa Huduma za Umeme Kusini mwa Afrika (Rera) kuvuta wawekezaji katika sekta ya umeme ili kuondoa tatizo kubwa la umeme linalozikumba nchi wanachama wa Jumuiya ya Biashara Kusini mwa Afrika (SADC).

Pinda aliishauri Rara kuweka mikakati imara

itakayozewezesha nchi wanachama kupunguza tatizo la upatikanaji wa nishati hiyo kwa sababu inawezekama juhudi na maarifa vikifanyika.

Waziri Pindi alitoa changamoto hiyo jana wakati akifungua Mkutano wa Tano wa Mwaka wa Rare unaofanyika katika

Kituo cha Mikutano cha Kimataifa cha Arusha (AICC).

“Afrika ndiyo yenye kiwango kidogo cha upatikanaji wa umeme ambacho ni sawa na asilimia 25 tu, hali mbaya zaidi ni vijijini ambapo wakazi zaidi ya asilimia 75

huishi ambao hupata umeme wa asilimia mbili tu,” alisema Waziri.

Alitoa mfano wa Nchi za SADC ambazo zilipigania Uhuru wa Nchi hizo na kufanikiwa na kwamba iwapo Nchi hizo

zitaunganisha nguvu zao kwa kugawana vyanzo hivyo ni wazi watashinda.

Baadhi ya changamoto alizozitoa Waziri Mkuu katika kukabiliana na tatizo hilo ni kupanua huduma hizo kwa

kutumia nguvu za maji, makaa ya mawe, gesi asilia na mafuta.

Pia alizitaka nchi wananchama wa jumuiy hiyo kukabiliana na changamoto kadhaa kama uhaba fedha kwa ajili ya kugharamia miradi hiyo, ufundi, miundombinu na kuepukana na utegemezi zaidi katika umeme unaotokana na maji ambao sasa si wa uhakika.

Naye Waziri wa Nishati na Madini,

William Ngeleja alisema lengo kuu ni kuangalia ni jinsi ya kuunganisha nguvu katika kukabiliana na tatizo hilo.

“Ni wakati muafaka kwa nchi zetu kuhakikisha kwamba huduma

hiyo inaboreshwa na inakuwa endelevu,” alisema Ngeleja.

Awali, Mwenyekiti wa Bodi ya Mamla ya Udhibiti wa Maji na Nishati (Ewura), Simon Sayore alisema lengo ni kuhakikisha kuwa tatizo la uhaba wa umeme

katika nchi hizo.

Mkutano huo unawakutanisha wadau 150 wa kutoka nchi wanachana wa Rera na wasiowanachama kutoka nchi za Mozambique, Zambia, Malawi, Nigeria, Lesotho, Afrika Kusini, Namibia, USA, Norway, Madagascar, Angola,

Botwsana, Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania.

source: Mwananchi, November 13, 2008