Private dealers, TIC discuss guidelines on clean cooking energy joint ventures in Tanzania

Dar es Salaam. The Tanzania Investment Centre (TIC) is actively engaging with dealers of clean cooking energy solutions in discussions to establish guidelines that will facilitate joint ventures (JVs) with foreign partners.

The initiative aims to develop facilities, locally, for the manufacture of clean cooking appliances, to reduce imports and promote sustainable energy solutions within the country.

The revelation was made on Friday, May 31, 2024, during a discussion that brought together energy stakeholders, aimed at promoting clean cooking energy in the country.

Speaking during the event, the Tanzania Traditional Energy Development Organisation (Tatedo) project coordinator, Mr Shukuru Meena, said the absence of low-cost clean cooking appliances was a huge challenge to the realisation of clean cooking in the country.

“The affordability of clean cooking appliances has remained a challenge for most households. We are currently discussing with TIC the provision of guidelines that will facilitate our partnership with foreign investors for the manufacturing of the appliances locally and at affordable prices,” he said.

A clean cooking energy stakeholder, Ms Gertrude Mongella, said that the absence of proper strategies could render the issue of clean energy for domestic purposes an endless refrain in the country.

"Tanzania, like many other African countries, relies heavily on charcoal and firewood, which underscores the need to advocate for affordable clean energy to reverse this trend. We must also change the mindset of our people," she said.

Tanzania’s Industrial and Development Organisation (Tirdo) researcher and consultant, Mr Atupele Kilindu, said that communities should embrace and adapt to technologies that prevent environmental pollution.

"In 2022/23, we conducted research to identify households using clean energy. We found that the usage of alternative and clean energy was below expectations," he said.

The senior officer of the National Environmental Management Council (Nemc), Mr Novatus Mushi, said they will continue advocating for the use of clean energy to prevent environmental pollution.

“Life is energy. Nobody can live without energy. However, the biggest energy comes from the environment,” he said.

Officiating the forum, which was part of the commemoration of World Environment Day, marked every June 5, Vice President Philip Mpango said environmental pollution facing cities, municipalities, and councils remained a huge challenge.

He lamented the fact that deforestation remains a challenge despite the presence of statutory bodies tasked with the protection and conservation of key resources, including the Tanzania Forest Services (TFS).

"We have other bodies such as NEMC and the Tanzania Forestry Research Institute (Tafori). However, despite the existence of bylaws formulated by local government authorities, it is disheartening that most cities and municipalities are still littered with waste," he remarked.