Construction of the GGML substation reaches 95%

09Feb 2024
Correspondent
News
The Guardian
Construction of the GGML substation reaches 95%

The efforts of the Geita Gold Mining Company Limited (GGML) to start using electricity from the national grid from the Tanzania Electricity Company (Tanesco), have become more visible after the construction of a substation and electricity distribution lines to the mine to reach 95 percent.

Geita Gold Mining Limited's (GGML) Principal Reliability Engineer, Maftah Seif (right), briefing the Chief Financial Officer of AngloGold Ashanti, GGML's parent company, Gillian Doran (left), on the substation project that will enable GGML to draw power from the Tanzania Electricity Company's (TANESCO) national grid. Other members of AngloGold Ashanti's senior management accompanied Doran and senior GGML staff on the visits to Geita in January 2024.

The facility, which is being built at a cost of 24.4 million US Dollars, will have the capacity to step down the power from 33 Kilovolts to 11 Kilovolts with a maximum power demand of 40 Megawatts.

 

Briefing the Chief Financial Officer from AngloGold Ashanti which is the parent company of GGML, Gillian Doran, GGML’s Principal Reliability Engineer, Maftah Seif said the project is expected to be completed in the mid of March depending on Power availability from Tanesco for Hot Synchronization

 

He said that the major task left now is the commissioning of the power stabilization Units, STATCOMs which will be followed by Site Acceptance Test (SAT).

 

Initially explaining more about the project, The Vice President for Sustainability and Corporate Affairs (Africa) at AngloGold Ashanti Simon Shayo said Tanesco has recently completed the construction of a 220-kilovolt line from Bulyanhulu to Geita, is on the finals stage to complete a 6.1-kilometre 33-kilovolt line to the GGML mine. At the same time, the company is constructing a Substation  to step down the power   output to 11 kilovolts.

 

He also pointed out that many mining companies have relied on self-generated electricity since the 2000s. The government is now making a conscious effort to integrate the energy sector with larger manufacturing sectors by ensuring adequate power supply for large investors.

 

Shayo cited GGML as an example, which currently generates 40 megawatts of electricity from its installed Diesel Powered Generators.

"Once TANESCO's electricity project is completed, the mine will be able to rely on the national grid, resulting in a 50% reduction in electricity costs, which translates into annual savings of USD 19 million," he explained.

 

By stopping captive power generation and connecting to TANESCO's national grid, GGML also aims to reduce carbon emissions by 81 kilotonnes by 2030.

 

“As the country plans to invest heavily in the mining sector and establish mineral mines in various regions, TANESCO is expected to see a significant increase in revenue due to the increased electricity consumption of these mines,” he said.

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