Zanzibar Electricity Corporation

Zanzibar Electricity Corporation, commonly known as ZECO, is the electricity utility responsible for transmission and distribution services across the Zanzibar Archipelago. It is a state-owned corporation established in 2006 as the successor to the State Fuel and Power Corporation. The company is wholly owned by the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar and operates under the umbrella of Zanzibar's Ministry of Land, Housing, Water and Energy. Its governance is exercised through a board of directors appointed directly by the responsible ministry. ZECO's role is rooted in a much longer history of electricity development in Zanzibar. Electricity generation on Unguja, the archipelago's principal island, dates to the 1870s, when a coal-fired generator was installed to supply Stone Town. Coal generation was later replaced by diesel-based equipment. In 1954, new diesel generators were installed by the British East Africa Company, reflecting the shift toward smaller, locally managed thermal generation systems. A major structural change occurred in 1980, when Unguja was connected to Tanzania's national grid through a 132-kilovolt submarine cable with a stated capacity of 45 megawatts. The interconnection allowed the island's diesel generators to be decommissioned and made imported grid electricity central to its supply system. Pemba developed along a separate path. Its first power plant, the Tibirinzi power station, was commissioned in 1958. As demand increased, the government added small diesel generators, but the Tibirinzi facility was eventually replaced. In 1985, the Wesha power station was inaugurated with three diesel generators totaling 4.5 megawatts. Pemba was subsequently connected to the national grid through a submarine cable system running from Pangani via Tanga to Ras Mkumbuu. The cable is described as a 33-kilovolt connection with a capacity of 20 megawatts. Against this historical background, ZECO functions primarily as an electricity network and supply organization rather than as a diversified international energy company. Its core activities are the transmission and distribution of electricity within Zanzibar, including the management of infrastructure linking the islands to mainland Tanzania's electricity system. The available reference material does not establish a separate portfolio of branded consumer products, renewable-energy subsidiaries, generation businesses, or operations outside Zanzibar. The corporation's ownership structure distinguishes it from mainland Tanzania's electricity institutions. The Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar holds all of ZECO's shares, while the reference material states that the Union government or mainland government has no ownership or executive control over the corporation. This places ZECO within Zanzibar's autonomous public-administration framework, even though its electricity system is physically interconnected with mainland Tanzania. Publicly available reference material identifies the company as an operating utility but does not provide current financial results, customer numbers, tariff schedules, executive names, or a confirmed corporate website.

The history of ZECO is connected to the broader development of electricity infrastructure in Zanzibar. The first recorded electricity-generation milestone on Unguja dates to 1875, when a coal-fired generator was installed to provide power to Stone Town. This early installation represented a limited urban power system rather than a modern island-wide network. By 1954, the coal plants had been abandoned and replaced by diesel generators installed by the British East Africa Company. Unguja's power system underwent a major transformation in 1980. The island was connected to Tanzania's national grid through a 132-kilovolt submarine cable described as having a capacity of 45 megawatts. Following the interconnection, the island's diesel generators were decommissioned, shifting the principal basis of electricity supply from local thermal generation to imported grid power transmitted through the undersea link. Pemba followed a distinct generation and interconnection sequence. Its first power station, Tibirinzi, was commissioned in 1958. Growing electricity demand led the government to add small diesel generators over time. In 1985, the government replaced the Tibirinzi station with the Wesha power station, which had three diesel generators with a combined capacity of 4.5 megawatts. Pemba was also connected to the national grid through a submarine cable route extending from Pangani through Tanga to Ras Mkumbuu. The connection is described as a 33-kilovolt, 20-megawatt cable system. ZECO was incorporated in 2006 as the successor to the State Fuel and Power Corporation. Its formation consolidated the institutional role of Zanzibar's electricity utility under a dedicated corporate structure. The corporation became wholly owned by the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar and was placed under the oversight framework of the Ministry of Land, Housing, Water and Energy of Zanzibar. The company's board is directly appointed by that ministry. The resulting organization is responsible for electricity transmission and distribution across the Zanzibar Archipelago. Its responsibilities cover the network infrastructure through which electricity is delivered on Unguja and Pemba, including systems associated with the submarine interconnections to Tanzania's national grid. The ownership model gives the Zanzibar government full control over the corporation, and the available reference material specifically distinguishes ZECO from mainland government ownership or executive control. The supplied reference material does not provide a detailed account of ZECO's subsequent capital projects, tariff decisions, renewable-energy programs, financial performance, customer base, or executive leadership. It also does not establish a separate generation portfolio operated by the corporation. Accordingly, the documented history supports describing ZECO principally as Zanzibar's state-owned transmission and distribution utility, built on electricity systems whose origins predate the corporation by more than a century.

• 2006

  ZECO incorporated as successor utility

  [1]Zanzibar Electricity Corporationen.wikipedia.org

  Zanzibar Electricity Corporation was incorporated as the successor to the State Fuel and Power Corporation and became wholly owned by the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar.

• 1985

  Wesha power station inaugurated on Pemba

  [1]Zanzibar Electricity Corporationen.wikipedia.org

  The government replaced the Tibirinzi station with Wesha, a facility equipped with three diesel generators totaling 4.5 megawatts.

• 1980

  Unguja connected to Tanzania's national grid

  [1]Zanzibar Electricity Corporationen.wikipedia.org

  Unguja was linked to the national grid through a 132-kilovolt, 45-megawatt submarine cable, after which its diesel generators were decommissioned.

• 1958

  Tibirinzi power station commissioned on Pemba

  [1]Zanzibar Electricity Corporationen.wikipedia.org

  Pemba's first power plant, the Tibirinzi power station, entered service.

• 1954

  Diesel generation replaced coal plants on Unguja

  [1]Zanzibar Electricity Corporationen.wikipedia.org

  The coal plants serving Unguja were abandoned and new diesel generators were installed by the British East Africa Company.

• 1875

  First recorded coal-fired generator in Stone Town

  [1]Zanzibar Electricity Corporationen.wikipedia.org

  A coal-fired generator was installed in Stone Town, marking one of the earliest documented electricity-generation developments in Zanzibar.

A publicly owned electricity utility serving Zanzibar through transmission, distribution, and grid-linked supply infrastructure.

• Utility network service · 2006

  Electricity transmission

  ZECO's transmission role covers the high-voltage movement of electricity within Zanzibar's power system, including infrastructure associated with the submarine interconnections linking the archipelago with Tanzania's national grid. The documented system includes a 132-kilovolt connection serving Unguja and a 33-kilovolt connection associated with Pemba. The available reference material does not specify the corporation's current transmission assets beyond these historical connections.

• Utility network service · 2006

  Electricity distribution

  Electricity distribution is a core ZECO responsibility across the Zanzibar Archipelago. The corporation operates within the public utility framework of the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar and delivers electricity through local distribution networks on Unguja and Pemba. Specific network coverage, customer categories, service standards, and tariff information are not provided in the supplied reference material.

• Public utility service · 2006

  Electricity supply services

  ZECO supplies electricity to Zanzibar through a system increasingly dependent on connections to Tanzania's national grid. Unguja's diesel generation was decommissioned after its 1980 interconnection, while Pemba historically combined local diesel generation with a submarine grid connection. The reference material identifies electricity supply as part of ZECO's utility role but does not describe separate branded plans or retail products.

1. 1Zanzibar Electricity Corporationen.wikipedia.org