TANESCO PLANS FOR KIDATU DAM REPAIR TO COST BILLIONS

Kilombero. Ahead of the commemoration of 50 years since its establishment, the Tanzania Electric Supply Company (Tanesco) is looking forward to conducting multibillion Phase Three rehabilitation services at Kidatu Hydropower dam, which is the country’s main power generation plant. 

According to Kidatu principal Operations engineer Joseph Lyaruu the rehabilitation is aimed at improving performance and making sure there is reliability in power generation. Speaking to reporters who visited the plant, Eng. Lyaruu said the rehabilitation was set to take place early in January, 2015.

He said Kidatu dam, which produces 204MW for the national grid would soon undergo major rehabilitation after a similar exercise was conducted eleven years ago.

The exercise would involve the modification of the 220kV system - which is the major link of interconnections such as Kihansi, Mtera, and others- repair and refurbishment of auxiliary equipment as well as realignment of up-bracket generator number two.

Eng Lyaruu said that from 1993 to 1994, Tanesco conducted rehabilitation Phase One, which covered repairs to turbines one and two as well as replacement of excitation equipment and repair of a damaged generator unit.

He said the service cost Sh5.9 billion (25million SEK).

The rehabilitation Phase Two took place from 1999 to 2003 in which there was a modernization of control and protection system, replacement of runners on unit one and two as well as repair to turbines, generators and water ways.

The Citizen