Kenya reviewing deal for Tanzania to import electricity from Ethiopia via its lines

The Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (Epra) of Kenya is finalising the review of an agreement to facilitate the transmission of 100MW of electricity from Ethiopia to Tanzania, utilising Kenya’s infrastructure for the transaction.

The Ethiopian Electric Power (EEP) entered into a deal with Tanzania Electricity Supply Company Limited (Tanesco) to sell 100MW of power, which will see the two use Kenya Electricity Transmission Company’s (Ketraco) infrastructure for the transit.

Under the agreement, Ethiopia and Tanzania will utilise Kenya as a transit corridor for the electricity, leveraging Ketraco’s transmission lines to facilitate the power transfer. Ketraco will impose a wheeling fee on both parties for the use of its infrastructure.

Epra’s Director-General, Daniel Kiptoo, stated that the authority has completed a preliminary assessment of the proposal and aims to finalize the approval process within this month.

“We received a request for moving of the power from Ethiopia between EEP, Ketraco which has the transmission line and Tanesco for the moving of 100MW of power from Ethiopia to Tanzania,” Mr Kiptoo said.

“We are processing the applicationit. We’ve done a preliminary analysis, we’ve taken it through the rigours of getting whole approval,” adds Kiptoo.

In 2024, Kenya and Tanzania launched a 510-kilometer electricity interconnector line stretching from Isinya through Namanga to Arusha. This line plays a crucial role in activating the regional power pool, enabling power utilities in the area to trade electricity with one another.

Additionally, the Kenya-Ethiopia interconnector, spanning over 1,000 kilometers from Woloyta-Sodo in Ethiopia to the Suswa Substation, became operational in 2022. This infrastructure has allowed Kenya to import electricity from Ethiopia’s Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (Gerd).