Mbeya. The Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Energy, Dr James Mataragio, has issued a strong directive to the Tanzania Electric Supply Company (TANESCO) and its subsidiary, the Tanzania Geothermal Development Company (TGDC), to ensure all verification equipment for the Ngozi Geothermal Resource Project arrives on site immediately.
Dr Mataragio’s instruction on October 22, 2025, came after he inspected the project in the Rungwe district of Mbeya region and noted that some vital equipment had not yet arrived, potentially delaying the critical validation work.
Focus on timely completion and energy mix
The Deputy Permanent Secretary stressed the national importance of the project and insisted on its timely completion.
He highlighted that the project’s execution is a direct fulfilment of the 2015 National Energy Policy, which mandates Tanzania to generate electricity using a diversified energy mix (generation mix), with geothermal being a key component.
“You must complete this project on time because of its importance to the nation,” Dr. Mataragio stated.
“When implementing these geothermal projects, we must remember that we are also executing the 2015 National Energy Policy, which states that Tanzania must generate electricity using a generation mix, of which geothermal is one.”
He specifically ordered that all equipment required for the verification phase of the Lake Ngozi project—which is expected to generate 70 megawatts (MW) of power—be purchased and delivered to the site at once.
Targeting 130MW by 2030
Dr Mataragio further explained that geothermal projects are key to the National Energy Compact, which runs until 2030 and targets 130 MW of electricity from geothermal resources.
Additionally, the National Development Vision 2050 also guides the country to adopt mixed sources for power generation.
The General Manager of TGDC, Eng. Mathew Mwangomba, assured the Ministry that the government’s directives would be executed efficiently to ensure the project meets its schedule.
Eng Mwangomba reported that the geothermal resource verification work at the Ngozi project has reached 60 per cent completion. He expects to conclude the verification across all three wells within the next six months.
Dr Mataragio was accompanied on the inspection tour by the Commissioner for Electricity and Renewable Energy, Eng. Innocent Luoga, and other senior officials from the Ministry of Energy and Tanesco.
