A ZAMBIAN energy company plans to build a $100m power line to Tanzania, creating the first such connection and providing alternative electricity for copper mines, reported Bloomberg News on Wednesday.
Kanona Power Co. expects to complete its high-voltage project within a year, potentially before a larger World Bank-financed transmission scheme aiming to link grids from Cape Town to Cairo, said the newswire.
The initiative is crucial for Zambia, Africa’s second-biggest copper producer, where mines need reliable power. Heavy reliance on hydroelectricity left the country vulnerable during 2024’s severe drought, which triggered its worst energy crisis.
A company spokesperson said the project would work alongside a bigger interconnector being developed by both governments.
“It will not only increase Zambia’s capacity to bring imported power into the country, but it will also create the necessary redundancy to further strengthen the grid and secure supply,” the spokesperson added.
The line will connect Mwakibete in southwestern Tanzania to Nakonde, a border town in northeastern Zambia.
Regional grid connections are gaining interest as ways to move power from surplus nations to those facing shortages. The World Bank last year committed financing for a line linking Uganda and Tanzania, said Bloomberg News.
Incorporated in 2023, Kanona has quickly become a key power trader in Zambia. The competing World Bank-backed interconnector, with $245m funding and over a decade in planning, is set to operate around 2028.
