Zambia-Tanzania Interconnector Set for Completion by 2028

The Zambian government has confirmed that construction on the long-awaited Zambia-Tanzania Interconnector Project will resume, with completion targeted for 2028. The $320 million initiative, backed by the World Bank, the European Union, and the UK, aims to boost regional energy integration by linking Zambia’s power grid with Tanzania’s.

First proposed more than a decade ago, the project has faced repeated delays, including setbacks from the COVID-19 pandemic and Zambia’s debt default. Now back on track, it is poised to become a key component in the creation of one of the world’s largest cross-border energy markets.

According to Acting Finance Minister Chipoka Mulenga, the remaining work costs $298m with the World Bank contributing a $245 million grant. The project will see the construction of a 620-kilometre, 400kV double-circuit transmission line stretching from Iringa in Tanzania to the Zambian border, with further extensions to Sumbawanga.

Once completed, the power line will increase access to reliable electricity in southwest Tanzania and ease the country’s dependence on electricity imports from Zambia. At the same time, it will strengthen Zambia’s role in the regional energy supply chain.

The project highlights Zambia’s commitment to integrating Southern and East African power systems—an effort expected to reduce electricity costs, improve energy security, and unlock new opportunities for trade and investment across the region.