Tanzania switches on first large-scale solar plant, marking energy milestone in Shinyanga

MONDAY February 23, 2026

By The Tranquillity News Correspondent, Shinyanga, Tanzania

The Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited (TANESCO) has rolled out Tanzania’s first large-scale solar power plant in Kishapu District, a landmark project that signals a strategic shift in the country’s energy mix and ambitions to scale up renewables.

Speaking at the site in the Shinyanga Region, Managing Director Lazaro Twange said the launch represents a historic breakthrough for the United Republic of Tanzania.

“Since independence, Tanzania has never had a solar power generating plant of this magnitude,” Twange said. “Today, we thank God for writing history for our nation through the Ministry of Energy and TANESCO. Personally, this is a big day — this project has been a headache — but we are grateful to our team for reaching this stage.”

A Sh18.6 billion first phase

The first phase of the Kishapu Solar Power Generation Plant has drawn an investment of Sh18.6 billion ($7.4 million) and is designed to generate 50 megawatts (MW) of electricity. Power has already been produced at the site and is in the final stages of being connected to the national grid, with full integration expected by March 1, 2026.

Twange said the project was implemented in partnership with the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), crediting Tanzania’s diplomatic ties with France for helping unlock financing.

Since independence, Tanzania has never had a solar power generating plant of this magnitude,” Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited Managing Director Lazaro Twange.

“We thank our development partners from France. It is our good diplomatic policy that has attracted financiers to invest in such a huge project,” he said.

The second phase, expected to generate an additional 100MW, is valued at Sh200.4 billion (over $78 million) with funds already secured. TANESCO is at the final stages of identifying a contractor, with a deal anticipated later this year to expand capacity at Kishapu.

Small solar base, big ambitions

Until recently, Tanzania’s installed solar capacity remained modest, estimated between 6MW and 26MW as of 2023–2024. Solar accounts for less than 5 per cent of the country’s overall generation mix, which is dominated by hydropower and natural gas.

However, the government is targeting 1,000MW of solar capacity between 2025 and 2030, part of broader efforts to diversify supply, stabilize the national grid and expand electricity access across the country.

Twange described the Kishapu project as evidence of the government’s commitment to reliable electricity nationwide.

“This project reflects a new chapter in our country’s history,” he said during a recent site inspection. “Electricity has already been generated here, and 50 megawatts will soon be feeding directly into the national grid.”

How the plant works

Mariana Mrosso, Acting Plant Manager of the Kishapu Solar Power Generation Plant, said operations begin at the solar panels, where electricity is generated in direct current (DC) form.

“The DC power is sent to converters to obtain alternating current (AC),” she explained. “Finally, the AC electricity is transmitted to transformers to step up the voltage to 220 kilovolts before it is fed into the national grid.”

Mrosso said the plant is expected to enhance grid stability and improve electricity supply across the Lake Zone, a key economic corridor.

Local impact and community ties

Kishapu District Commissioner Peter Masindi described the plant as a catalyst for local economic growth, particularly for youth engaged in mining and agriculture.

Electricity has already been generated here, and 50 megawatts will soon be feeding directly into the national grid,” Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited Managing Director Lazaro Twange.

TANESCO officials said the host community has been closely involved throughout the project. Electricity has been supplied to nearby neighborhoods as part of corporate social responsibility initiatives, and local authorities were praised for their support.

Twange also thanked residents who were relocated to make way for the project.

“We have never been at loggerheads. We have lived as brothers and sisters. We are good neighbours and will continue to be,” he said, adding that TANESCO experts will remain stationed in Kishapu around the clock as operations ramp up.

With Kishapu now online, Tanzania joins a growing list of African nations scaling up solar generation as they balance energy security, economic growth and climate commitments — and for TANESCO, the switch-on marks not just a new power source, but what executives are calling a defining moment in the country’s post-independence energy historyΩ