LUSAKA, Nov 6 – Zambia expects the high-voltage transmission line connecting its electricity network to Tanzania and Kenya to begin operations by the second quarter of 2029, in a project designed to expand regional electricity trading and improve power supply reliability.
Electricity Minister Peter Kapala disclosed the timeline to lawmakers on Thursday, saying the full scope of the Zambia-Tanzania interconnector project would be completed within 24 months.
The wider project, agreed in 2014, involves constructing approximately 2,300 kilometres of transmission infrastructure at an estimated cost of $1.2 billion. It is intended to connect Zambia to Tanzania and extend electricity transmission links towards Kenya.
Zambia has secured $292 million in grant funding from the World Bank Group, the European Union and the United Kingdom. The country will be responsible for constructing just over 600 kilometres of the transmission line within its territory.
Once completed, the interconnector will link the Southern Africa Power Pool (SAPP) with the Eastern Africa Power Pool (EAPP), creating a transmission route between the two regional electricity markets. Zambia is expected to gain the capacity to trade up to 500 megawatts of electricity, strengthening its position as a potential regional hub for power trading.
The project is also expected to improve the movement of electricity across national grids, allowing participating countries to access power from a wider regional market and support electricity supply reliability.
Kapala said China’s Sinotech Consortium was awarded the first phase of construction last month. The initial contracts cover a 186-kilometre section from the Pensulo substation to Mpika and a further 200-kilometre section connecting Mpika to the Kasama substation in northern Zambia.
“The full scope of the Zambia-Tanzania interconnector project will be undertaken in 24 months and is therefore scheduled to be commissioned by the second quarter of 2029,” Kapala said.
The interconnector forms part of broader efforts to strengthen electricity connectivity across Eastern and Southern Africa. By linking the two regional power pools, the project is expected to expand cross-border electricity trade and provide additional transmission capacity as demand for reliable power grows across the region.
