Tanzania encourages private sector to invest in waste-to-energy technology

Arusha. The government of Tanzania has urged the private sector, particularly industrial owners and managers, to explore ways of utilising wastes to generate energy in attempt to conserve environment and achieve energy sufficiency.

Most of by-products from raw materials are typically discarded but some of them can be used to generate electricity.

The coordinator of the energy efficiency project at the Ministry of Energy, Mr Emilian Nyanda said during a training workshop for multi-sector stakeholders about agro-waste to energy (WtE) technology, that some factories have already started using such kind of electricity.

He said that some sugar and forestry industries have been generating their own electricity using waste, with surplus energy being fed into the national grid.

“The government receives over 10 megawatts of electricity from these industries, which is generated using waste from raw materials. The waste would otherwise be discarded after sugar production,” he said.

Mr Nyanda encouraged other stakeholders to take advantage of the opportunity to use waste-to-energy technology for both their own use and to sell electricity to the government.

The government currently generates about 3,400 megawatts of electricity, with plans to increase this capacity to 5,000 MW by the end of 2025, sourced from hydropower, gas, renewable energy, and solar power, according to him.

The training, organised by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) in collaboration with the Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology (NM-AIST), is focused on promoting waste-to-energy (WtE) technologies for agro-industries in both the public and private sectors.

Discussing the issue, manager at TPC Sugar Factory, Mr David Shilatu, noted that the government needs to revise its energy policy to clearly highlight the benefits for individuals who contribute electricity to the national grid in order to attract more investment.

He stated that, at TPC, they have been generating over 18 MW from sugarcane by-products, contributing more than 5 MW to the national grid after meeting their own energy needs.

“For the government to succeed in attracting investors and the private sector to contribute to electricity generation, the policy must clearly outline the personal benefits that individuals can gain. Otherwise, we will continue talking without tangible results,” he said.

UNIDO officer-in-charge in Tanzania Lorence Ansermet, explained that the training is part of a five-month project (December 2024 to April 2025) to promote waste-to-energy (WtE) applications in agro-industry in Tanzania.

The project is funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), according to her.

Ms Ansermet highlighted that the project aligns with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 7, which seeks to “ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all,” and SDG 13, which calls for “urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts, and promote action at all levels by 2030.”

She emphasised that Tanzania can achieve these goals if the government partners with the private sector to generate environmentally sustainable electricity.

She also acknowledged that a major challenge facing the country is the collection of waste for energy production.

“In the sugar industry, we have seen that waste collection has helped to reduce the operational costs of factories, as there is a collection system within the sugar production process,” she said.

“However, when it comes to maize, rice, and other agricultural by-products used to generate energy, there is a need for a proper waste collection system. This is why this forum aims to develop a roadmap to address these challenges and contribute to the government’s efforts in the national strategy for clean cooking,” she said.

She added that the WtE project in the agriculture sector is a strategic initiative that recognises the urgent need to reduce dependence on traditional biomass fuels, thus reducing environmental degradation, improving health outcomes, addressing climate change, and implementing circular economy principles.

The deputy vice chancellor for academic, research, and innovation at NM-AIST, Prof Anthony Mshandete, also emphasised that energy security is critical for various sectors of the economy.

“As a research institution, NM-AIST continues to conduct studies to support sufficient energy production,” he said.