China, Tanzania parties eye clean cooking energy to empower women

Dar es Salaam. China and Tanzania main political parties yesterday agreed to collaborate in exploring opportunities for Chinese investors to venture into clean cooking energy as part of efforts to support women.

The commitment was raised by the ruling Chama cha Mapinduzi’s women wing (UWT) and that of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), targeting to empower women to shift from using charcoal and firewood to safe cooking energy.

The party officials were speaking as a delegation of Chinese investors held talks on the matter.

UWT secretary, Ms Jokate Mwegelo, encouraged the investors to venture into industries for producing coal briquettes so that more women can use it for cooking.

Briquettes are compressed blocks of combustible materials, such as coal dust, sawdust, wood chips, or charcoal, that are used as fuel and kindling.

Currently, the State Mining Company (STAMICO) implements the project for producing the briquettes, but it does not meet the national demand.

“As women wing, we look forward to having industries for coal briquettes as alternative to firewood and charcoal to save women,” Ms Mwegelo said.

The delegation’s visit which was meant to hear from the party’s wing over possible investment opportunities was organised by a Tanzanian company Canopus Energy Solution.

Ms Mwegelo said that the wing was making efforts to attract investors to invest in its available opportunities, especially land and farms.

“For us, clean energy is ideal for investment so that we can both protect women health and environment,” she added.

On her part, Anna Nyangasi, an official from the Canopas Energy Solution which collaborated with the AMEC Group of Companies to organise the visit of the Chinese investors to Tanzania, said the talks between the women wing and the delegation mainly focused on investing in clean cooking energy.

“We see it as a good thing in supporting President Samia Suluhu Hassan’sgoal to ensure more people use clean energy for cooking,” said Ms Nyangasi.

On Wednesday, the same delegation visited the National Development Corporation (NDC) where they were also briefed about the available investment opportunities in the renewables.

The NDC invited the investors to cooperate with it in carrying out 19 projects of renewable energy to produce over 1,400 megawatts from both solar and wind in the regions of Arusha, Dodoma, Iringa, Singida and Morogoro.

According to acting permanent secretary of the Industry and Trade Ministry, Mr Sempeho Manongi, the implementation of the envisaged projects would significantly boost the country’s power pool.

Mr Manongi assured them that the government has put friendly environment for investment and trade through reviewing laws and policies.