Tanzania - Backbone Transmission Investment Project

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The development objective of the Backbone Transmission Investment Project is to increase availability, reliability, and quality of grid based power supply to northern regions of Tanzania. There are two components to the project. The first component of the project is construction of the transmission line. This component will finance one section of the overhead 400kV double-circuit backbone transmission interconnection between the towns of Iringa and Shinyanga (including a Fiber Optic Communication Line (FOCL) and the Shield Wire System (SWS) as a local distribution technology; and the expansion of the associated 220kV substations at Iringa, Dodoma, Singida, and Shinyanga. This component is estimated to cost about US$434.76 million (including contingencies, but excluding taxes and duties). Specifically, the International Development Association (IDA) credit will finance one of the three sections of this transmission line, namely from Iringa to Dodoma. The second component of the project is technical assistance to Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited (TANESCO). It is that about US$10.0 million is allocated for technical assistance to the implementing agency (TANESCO) for the project. Upon a careful review of TANESCO's requirements for urgent technical assistance, this component will support the implementing agency through consultancy contracts related to: (i) engineering/safeguard supervision and monitoring consultant for implementation support for the proposed backbone transmission line, and (ii) improve technical, legal, financial, and safeguards capacity of TANESCO in preparing and managing projects.