AfrElec: Astra Energy secures land for 50-MW renewable power plant in Zanzibar

US firm Astra Energy is set to invest in a clean and renewable power plant in Zanzibar with a capacity to generate 50 MW after securing land from the Tanzanian archipelago’s government.

The San Diego-based clean energy firm announced that the Zanzibar government has committed to provide 200 acres (81 hectares) of land under a 33-year renewable lease for the proposed energy park project, aimed at expanding access to reliable and efficient electricity supply.

Currently, for its sole source of power, Zanzibar depends on a single 100-MW submarine cable from mainland Tanzania that is routinely operated at greater than 90% of its capacity during periods of peak demand on the island.

The World Bank estimates that only 50% of the Zanzibar population has access to electricity although the island’s government is targeting to achieve universal access by 2032.

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