Tanzania will launch a new hydroelectric plant in the Kilimanjaro region in December 2026, the local publication The Citizen reports.
The project is being implemented by the Chinese company HNAC Technology in partnership with Tanzanian firm White City International, with support from the World Bank under the East African Skills for Transformation and Regional Integration Project (EASTRIP).
The plant will have a capacity of 1.7 MW, with potential for expansion to 17 MW, The Citizen specifies.
"The Kikuletwa Hydroelectric Plant will act as a voltage stabilizer for the northern zone, eliminating Tanzania's need to rely on auxiliary power supply from neighboring countries, including Kenya," said Tanzania's EASTRIP national coordinator, Sithole Mwakatage.
The hydroelectric plant site also houses the campus of the largest renewable energy training center in northern Tanzania. Students receive training in hydro, solar, wind, and geothermal energy.
"We are building the capacity of East African youth to become experts in renewable energy, enabling the continent to reduce its excessive dependence on fossil fuels, which continue to be affected by global geopolitical conflicts," said Adam Mfangavo, an instructor at the Arusha Technical College (ATC).
According to ATC Director Professor Musa Chacha, by January 2026, the center had already trained 3,519 students in renewable energy, including 116 from Kenya.
Earlier in May, Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan stated that nuclear energy should be used as a supplement to build sustainable energy systems for the continent's industrialization.