RETRADE-SA MPA Phase 1: Zambia - Tanzania Interconnector Project

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The Zambia-Tanzania Interconnector Project (P507033) is being prepared as part of Phase 1 of the Regional Energy Transmission, Trade and Decarbonization Project in Southern Africa (RETRADE-SA) Multiphase Programmatic Approach (MPA). The Project Development Objective (PDO) of Zambia-Tanzania Interconnector Project is to interconnect the Southern and Eastern Africa Power Pools to enable regional power trade and increase the transmission capacity in Northern Zambia. The proposed project will finance Zambia’s side of the interconnection with Tanzania, including Transmission Lines and Associated Substations and Technical Assistance activities essential for both the construction and operational phases of the interconnector and Project Management Support to be implemented by ZESCO. The Zambia-Tanzania Interconnector Project is a crucial part of the Zambia-Tanzania-Kenya (ZTK) interconnection project, creating a link between Kabwe-Pensulo-Mpika-Kasama-Nakonde-the Tanzanian border. The project will use 330 kV transmission lines from Kabwe to Nakonde, and a 400kV double circuit transmission line from Nakonde to the Tanzanian border. The construction works for the proposed project includes the enhancement of a segment of the national transmission line between Nakonde and Isoka. Technical assistance will be provided to ZESCO and Office for Promoting Private Power Investment (OPPPI) under the Ministry of Energy for project management and capacity building. The Zambia-Tanzania interconnector is strategically aligned with the Zambia-Tanzania-Kenya (ZTK) transmission interconnector by constructing its starting section. The responsibility for developing the remaining segments of the ZTK interconnector within Tanzania and Kenya falls to those respective countries. The Zambia-Tanzania interconnector will: (i) enable Zambia and Tanzania to increase power trade and meet their respective domestic electricity demand, (ii) improve the reliability of the electricity service in the northeastern part of Zambia, (iii) enable the inclusion of Tanzania as an operating member of SAPP, and (iv) facilitate the connection between SAPP and EAPP transmission networks. The proposed project will be implemented as an investment policy finance (IPF) project, with co-financing from European Union (EU) and the Energy Sector Management Assistance Program (ESMAP).