Tanzania - Iringa-Shinyanga Transmission Line Project

The Iringa-Shinyanga Transmission Line Project involves the construction of an overhead line to reinforce the entire backbone transmission grid system of Tanzania. In order to avoid installing excess transmission capacity and reduce initial investment cost, the development of the project is divided into two (2) phases. Phase I of the project involves the construction of a 667 km long, 400 kV double-circuit backbone transmission interconnection, including the Fiber Optic Communication Line (FOCL) and the Shield Wire System (SWS). Phase II will comprise a system upgrade to 400 kV level for all associated substations (Iringa, Dodoma, Singida and Shinyanga) with the addition of 720 MVA shunt-reactor capacity. The planned upgrades will allow an increase in the transfer capacity to 1,000 MW. The implementation of the upgrade is scheduled for 2020 when the load on the line is expected to warrant that level. The existing 220kV line has already reached its technical limits and cannot handle this expected demand growth. In this context, the proposed project is of critical importance and forms part of TANESCO’s shortterm strategy for national grid transmission line reinforcement. Most of the line stretches will run parallel to the existing 220 kV line, with only minor variations in areas where alternative alignments have been proposed due to the topography of the terrain. The planned line is a 400 kV line and will have a length of approximately 670 km. It will interconnect four substations (S/S) at the Iringa, Dodoma, Singida and Shinyanga towns. The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2013 at an estimated cost UA 314 Million.