Dr Emma Silke, commercial manager with Irish engineering consultancy, ESB International (ESBI), has presented a paper at Power & Electricity World Africa, Africa’s largest power and energy event. The paper, entitled ‘Tanzania – Implementing Long Term Solutions to Help Improve Power Distribution’ outlined ESBI’s role in delivering a $206 million dollar energy project in Tanzania on behalf of the US-Funded Millennium Challenge Account – Tanzania.
The MCA-T Energy Project will significantly enhance the electricity infrastructure in Tanzania, where currently only 15 per cent of the population has access to the electricity network. ESBI is consultant engineer and construction supervisor on the project.
Speaking at the Conference, Dr. Silke commented: “This project will directly impact on the lives of people across Tanzania who up to now have been dependent on costly standby diesel generators or go without electricity. Our job is to make sure that every penny counts. We need to make sure that the new infrastructure is safe, robust and can stand the test of time, that it is delivered on time and within budget and that the local utilities Tanesco and Zeco have the skills and knowledge they need to manage and maintain the assets into the future.”
ESB International is currently supervising the construction of the new infrastructure, which includes a new subsea interconnector from mainland Tanzania to Zanzibar Island, rural distribution extensions, substations and overhead lines.