A Zambian energy trader is planning to invest $100 million in a power transmission line linking Zambia to its neighbouring country, Tanzania.
- A power transmission line connecting Zambia to Tanzania is proposed by Zambian energy trader Kanona Power Co., with an investment of $100 million.
- This project aims to support Zambia’s copper mine industry by stabilising energy supply following recent drought-induced power shortages.
- Kanona’s project seeks to complement a government-run transmission interconnection being developed between Zambia and Tanzania.
- The transmission line promises to enhance electricity import capabilities and introduce necessary grid redundancy to secure the region’s power supply.
A Zambian energy trader is planning to invest $100 million in a power transmission line linking Zambia to its neighbouring country, Tanzania, marking the first direct electricity connection between the two countries and offering a new source of power for Zambia’s energy-hungry copper mines.
Kanona Power Co. said the high-voltage line could be completed within a year, potentially coming online ahead of a much larger World Bank–backed regional transmission project aimed at completing the final grid link stretching from Cape Town to Cairo, Bloomberg reported.
Power security for copper mines
Reliable electricity has become increasingly critical for Zambia’s copper sector, the second-largest producer of the metal in Africa. The country depends heavily on hydropower, and a severe drought in 2024 triggered its worst energy crisis on record, disruptions from which it is still recovering.
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Kanona said its project would complement a government-led interconnector currently being developed by Zambia and Tanzania.
The new line would increase Zambia’s ability to import power while adding redundancy to the national grid, helping to stabilise supply. “It will not only increase Zambia’s capacity to bring imported power into the country, but it will also create the necessary redundancy to further strengthen the grid and secure supply,” a company spokesperson said in response to emailed questions.
Interest in cross-border power infrastructure has grown across Africa as countries seek to move electricity from regions with surplus generation to those facing persistent shortages. Last year, the World Bank committed funding for a high-voltage transmission line connecting Uganda and Tanzania.
Kanona’s proposed line will run between Mwakibete in southwestern Tanzania and Nakonde, a border town in northeastern Zambia. Incorporated in 2023, the company has rapidly established itself as a significant electricity trader in Zambia’s power market.
Meanwhile, the competing interconnector, backed by $245 million in World Bank financing, has been in development for more than a decade and is expected to begin operations around 2028.
