Indian Firm Proposes 1,200-Mw Coal-Fired Power Plant in Tanzania

By Pius Rygonzibwa

DAR ES-SALAAM (NNN-DAILY NEWS) -- An Indian firm, Abhijeet Group, has announced a proposal to set up a coal-fired power project with a capacity generate 1,200 megawatts (MW) of electricity which would be injected into Tanzania's national grid.

Abhijeet Group Director Abhijeet Jayaswal told reporters here Monday that the electricity would be generated within 36 months of reaching an agreement with the Tanzanian government. The company has already set aside 3.0 billion USD to implement the project.

Jayaswal has already met Energy and Minerals Minister Wiliam Ngeleja and discussed the investment plans and is scheduled to meet officials from the National Development Corporation (NDC) on Tuesday.

"We have been inspired to come and invest in the country which has a lot of potential. We will be able to start the work as soon as all procedures are completed with the government authorities and the minister has pledged to give us maximum cooperation," he said.

The company, he added, was set to introduce Underground Coal Gasification, an environmental friendly state-of-the-art technology for the project.

Referring to the Tanzanian government's investment policy, he said his company had looked at it and realized that the country had an appealing environment for his company to come and invest.

Tanzania, he noted, would be the second country for his company to invest a power generation project in Africa after a similar venture in Gabon.

The Abhijeet Group has also completed a 5,000-MW electricity generation project in India and is ranked as one of the major power producing companies in India, he said. The company is also involved in road construction, mining activities as well as cement manufacturing. -- NNN-DAILY NEWS