KEY POINTS
- Zambia expects its electricity interconnector with Tanzania to become operational in the second quarter of 2029.
- The country’s section has secured $292-million in grants from the World Bank, EU and UK.
- The project will connect Southern and Eastern Africa’s electricity markets and enable Zambia to trade up to 500MW of power.
Zambia expects to bring a major electricity transmission line connecting its power network to Tanzania into operation by the second quarter of 2029, as the country seeks to strengthen electricity supply security and expand cross-border power trading.
Energy Minister Peter Kapala announced the timeline in a statement to Parliament on Thursday, November 5, 2026, saying construction of Zambia’s section of the project would take approximately 24 months to complete.
The wider project involves a 2,300-kilometre high-voltage transmission network linking Zambia, Tanzania and Kenya, with an estimated total cost of $1.2-billion. Once completed, the infrastructure will connect the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) to the Eastern Africa Power Pool (EAPP), creating a transmission route between the two regional electricity markets.
Zambia secures $292m in grant funding
Zambia has secured $292-million in grant financing from the World Bank Group, the European Union and the United Kingdom to develop its portion of the interconnector.
The funding comprises a $245-million grant from the World Bank’s International Development Association, $30-million from the European Union and $17-million from the UK.
The financing became effective on April 25, 2025, following the signing of a grant facility agreement on January 29, 2025.
Zambia is responsible for constructing just over 600 kilometres of transmission lines and associated infrastructure within its territory. The route will run from Pensulo in Serenje District through Mpika and Kasama to Nakonde, near the Tanzanian border.
Under the regional arrangement, each participating country is responsible for financing, constructing and operating the infrastructure within its own territory.
Chinese consortium wins initial construction contracts
Kapala said China’s Sinotech Consortium was awarded contracts for the first two sections of the Zambian project in October.
The first section covers 186 kilometres of transmission line between the Pensulo substation and Mpika, while the second involves a 200-kilometre stretch connecting Mpika to the Kasama substation in northern Zambia.
The two sections form part of the broader transmission infrastructure required to connect Zambia’s electricity network to Tanzania.
The government has divided its portion of the project into five implementation packages, with procurement and construction activities being undertaken through the state-owned electricity utility, ZESCO.
Interconnector to support 500MW power trade
When operational, the interconnector is expected to enable Zambia to trade up to 500 megawatts of electricity, strengthening its position as a regional electricity trading hub.
The connection will allow power to move between the Southern African Power Pool and the Eastern Africa Power Pool, expanding opportunities for electricity imports and exports across the two regions.
For Zambia, the additional connection is expected to improve access to electricity from neighbouring markets during periods of domestic supply shortages. It will also provide an opportunity to export surplus power when local generation exceeds demand.
The project is part of a wider regional effort to improve electricity connectivity and make power trading between African countries more efficient.
