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Mon, Mar 5th, 2012
Mon, March, 5th 2012 / Tanzania |
Tanesco headquarters
A new technology has saved the national grid from regular blackouts,following an arrangement between Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited (TANESCO) and Norway's Statnett.
The technology, used by Norway's Statnett has been applied by Tanesco protection experts on the North East grid that is from Chalinze-Hale-Kiyungu in Moshi and Arusha.
According to Tanesco's senior Manager System Control Engineer Masanyiwa Mallale there tended to be a weaker link on the national grid before the first technical arrangements were made on the grid in November, last year.
"So, wherever we lost the Pangani generators, this link used to trip off and bring imbalance in the network, which used to consequently lead to total blackout of the national grid," he said. He said that since the upgrade of the network is very expensive,in collaboration with Norway's Statnet, an analysis was made to use existing protection relays, a practice used at Stanett too.
"We wired the feeders to a certain level of sensitivity such that wherever we use the Pangani generators, these hardwired feeders could trip and thereby save the total collapse of the national grid. He said that even if they currently trip under this arrangement, it is less costly.
This is part of the twinning project between the two power utilities where Tanesco taps into the experience of Statnett to improve its efficiency. Statnett's Senior Vice-President international Affairs Tor Inge Akselsen said his institution shares its long experience in energy transmission with its Tanzanian counterpart through workshops, training and technical assistance, according to the inception report for the Norwegian sponsored development project.
TANESCO is currently not profitable, it experiences faults in its power system and electricity is only available to 14 per cent of the population. "Electricity being a catalyst for development and we hope to see improvements in the system," he said.
Part of the twinnng project is also to make measurable improvements in TANESCO's corporate strategy and business development capability and to increase efficiency in planning and maintenance of the transmission system, agreed the partners.
Statnett also provides advice integrated in TANESCO's managerial and technical processes, in order to build up competence within the company. The partners expect, for instance, the twinning project to enable the Tanzanian electricity company to design and carry out achievable grid development plans, to manage project risk and improve their communication and business relations within the electricity sector.
The twinning agreement lasts for three years, with an optional extension of two years and is supported with 22 million NOK by Norway in the first phase. The project was initiated as a result of a request from TANESCO signalling a large willingness in the company to emulate international practices and standards in order to improve electricity supply in Tanzania. The idea comes from Uganda where the Ugandan Company UETCL has cooperated with Statnett since 2006.
The official says there are four working areas including corporate governance, operation maintenance, strategic planning and ICT. The bottom line is capacity building to help Tanesco use its expertise rather than reinvent the wheel.
The immediate results are in the operation maintenance group where Tanesco protection experts visited the North East grid that is from Chalinze-Hale-Kiyungu in Moshi and Arusha.
By ORTON KIISHWEKO, Tanzania Daily News
Mon, March, 5th 2012 / Tanzania |
Tanesco headquarters
The technology, used by Norway's Statnett has been applied by Tanesco protection experts on the North East grid that is from Chalinze-Hale-Kiyungu in Moshi and Arusha.
According to Tanesco's senior Manager System Control Engineer Masanyiwa Mallale there tended to be a weaker link on the national grid before the first technical arrangements were made on the grid in November, last year.
"So, wherever we lost the Pangani generators, this link used to trip off and bring imbalance in the network, which used to consequently lead to total blackout of the national grid," he said. He said that since the upgrade of the network is very expensive,in collaboration with Norway's Statnet, an analysis was made to use existing protection relays, a practice used at Stanett too.
"We wired the feeders to a certain level of sensitivity such that wherever we use the Pangani generators, these hardwired feeders could trip and thereby save the total collapse of the national grid. He said that even if they currently trip under this arrangement, it is less costly.
This is part of the twinning project between the two power utilities where Tanesco taps into the experience of Statnett to improve its efficiency. Statnett's Senior Vice-President international Affairs Tor Inge Akselsen said his institution shares its long experience in energy transmission with its Tanzanian counterpart through workshops, training and technical assistance, according to the inception report for the Norwegian sponsored development project.
TANESCO is currently not profitable, it experiences faults in its power system and electricity is only available to 14 per cent of the population. "Electricity being a catalyst for development and we hope to see improvements in the system," he said.
Part of the twinnng project is also to make measurable improvements in TANESCO's corporate strategy and business development capability and to increase efficiency in planning and maintenance of the transmission system, agreed the partners.
Statnett also provides advice integrated in TANESCO's managerial and technical processes, in order to build up competence within the company. The partners expect, for instance, the twinning project to enable the Tanzanian electricity company to design and carry out achievable grid development plans, to manage project risk and improve their communication and business relations within the electricity sector.
The twinning agreement lasts for three years, with an optional extension of two years and is supported with 22 million NOK by Norway in the first phase. The project was initiated as a result of a request from TANESCO signalling a large willingness in the company to emulate international practices and standards in order to improve electricity supply in Tanzania. The idea comes from Uganda where the Ugandan Company UETCL has cooperated with Statnett since 2006.
The official says there are four working areas including corporate governance, operation maintenance, strategic planning and ICT. The bottom line is capacity building to help Tanesco use its expertise rather than reinvent the wheel.
The immediate results are in the operation maintenance group where Tanesco protection experts visited the North East grid that is from Chalinze-Hale-Kiyungu in Moshi and Arusha.
By ORTON KIISHWEKO, Tanzania Daily News