BITEKO COMMENDS GEITA GOLD MINING POWER SUBSTATIONS PROJECT

Minister of Minerals, Dr. Dotto Biteko (second right) being given information about the substations project by the Manager responsible for infrastructure from GGML, Eliakimu Kagimbo. Dr. Biteko visited the GGML mines along with the project being built by the company to receive Tanesco electricity and enable the mines to start using electricity from the National Grid instead of electricity produced with diesel fuel.

The Minister of Minerals Dr. Dotto Biteko has expressed his satisfaction with the speed of the construction of the substation being built by the Geita Gold Mining Company (GGML). The construction will enable the mine to abandon oil-based electricity production and move to the cheaper National Grid electricity.

The GGML mines is building the plant that will be able to transmit electricity with 13 kilovolts to its plants where until it is completion its expected to cost Shs 50 billion.

In addition, the Tanzania Electricity Company (TANESCO) is also building a line to send electricity to the mine with a length of six kilometers.

This was stated in the Minister of Mines' visit he made the other day to the GGML Mine located in Geita where, among other things, he said he believes that by March 2023, GGML will start using electricity from the National Grid.

"GGML wants to move from the use of oil-generated electricity to Tanesco electricity, the substation being built will use 20 million US dollars, and they have made a good step, I believe that until March next year, we will turn on Tanesco's electricity to run our mine," said Dr. Biteko.

Previously, the Vice President of GGML's parent company, AngloGold Ashanti, Simon Shayo, who handles sustainable projects in Ghana and Tanzania, said that the completion of the project will reduce the cost of mine operation and electricity production by more than 50 percent.

He said the GGML mine is using more than 40 MW produced using diesel generators fuel since 2018.

"Now we are in the process of building a power plant worth about Shs 50 billion and TANESCO will build a six kilometer line to reach here.

"So by March 2023, we will be using TANESCO electricity, and we will have reduced our electricity cost by 50 percent, from one unit for 19 cents to one unit for nine cents," he said.

In addition, it was stated that the completion of the project to deliver electricity to the GGML Company is expected to enable the Tanzania Electricity Corporation (TANESCO) to earn five billion shillings per month from electricity sales.