Tanzania and Hungary explore green energy

Dar es Salaam. The minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Mr Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, has invited Hungary to collaborate on investments in renewable energy, particularly solar and geothermal power. 

This was revealed in a media statement from the ministry which was availed to The Citizen on Sunday.

According to the statement, the issue came up during Mr Kombo’s visit to Hungary’s ministry of Energy, where he held discussions with the Secretary-General responsible for environmental issues, Ms Anikó Raisz, Mr Kombo emphasised the potential for cooperation in the energy sector.

“We recognise Hungary’s expertise in energy production and distribution,” he said.

Mr Kombo also encouraged Hungary to share its advanced waste management technologies and provide technical training to Tanzanians to enhance local expertise in the sector.

Ms Raisz expressed Hungary’s readiness to establish capacity-building programmes and technical exchanges in the energy and environmental sectors to support global sustainability efforts.

During the discussions, Mr Kombo highlighted Tanzania’s efforts under the leadership of President Samia Suluhu Hassan to promote clean cooking energy across Africa. 

He reaffirmed Tanzania’s commitment to ensuring that 80 per cent of cooking activities rely on clean energy to combat environmental degradation.

The minister also reiterated the government’s dedication to expanding electricity access across Tanzania, noting that the country recently hosted the Africa Energy Summit, where African leaders resolved to connect 300 million households to electricity.

In a separate development, Tanzania and Hungary have pledged to strengthen their cooperation in the water sector through the Biharamulo Water Supply Project.

Mr Kombo, alongside Tanzania’s minister of Water, Jumaa Aweso, and the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Mr Mwajuma Waziri, led a delegation to Hungary’s Csepel Water Treatment Project in Budapest. The visit was aimed at exploring Hungary’s expertise in water purification and supply.

The delegation engaged with VTK Innosystem, a Hungarian company that has successfully implemented water purification projects in Rwanda, Cabo Verde, Kenya, and Indonesia. VTK is set to implement the Biharamulo Water Supply Project, which is funded by the Hungarian government with a budget of $55.1 million.

During the visit, Mr Kombo invited VTK representatives to Tanzania to assess specific water needs and explore further collaboration.

The delegation also observed modern water treatment methods, including ozone radiation technology, which provides a chemical-free approach to water purification.

This partnership marks a significant step in improving water accessibility in Tanzania through advanced Hungarian technology and expertise.