Tanzania outlines roadmap to clean energy future
What you need to know:
- This is in line with the international scientific consensus that to prevent the worst climate damages, global net human-caused emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) need to fall by about 45 percent from 2010 levels by 2030, reaching net zero around 2050.
Dar es Salaam. The government has finalised its National Renewable Energy Strategy, Roadmap and work plan, outlining its approach to implementing solar, wind, and geothermal energy projects from now until 2050.”
This is in line with the international scientific consensus that to prevent the worst climate damages, global net human-caused emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) need to fall by about 45 percent from 2010 levels by 2030, reaching net zero around 2050.
Speaking to The Citizen, Commissioner of Electricity and Renewable Energy, ministry of Energy, Innocent Luoga, said the strategy shows areas where the resources are available and their implementation.
This also follows the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) report on the impact of the Access to Sustainable Energy Survey (IASES) 2021/22.
The report highlights significant progress in electricity access and some improvements in cooking solutions.
However, challenges remain in ensuring reliable electricity, improving fuel availability, and promoting efficient cooking technologies, particularly in rural areas.
Addressing these issues will be crucial for advancing towards the Sustainable Development Goals related to energy access.
Given this, Mr Luoga said the government has prepared a road map for producing renewable energy through wind, solar, and geothermal energy.
“We have started implementing solar projects in Kishapu, Shinyanga region of 150 MW.
The first phase, which will deliver 50 MW, is expected to be completed by February 2025. The remaining capacity will be added to reach 150 MW by 2026, and the total output will be integrated into the national grid,” he said.
On the strategy to produce energy through wind, he said plans are in the offing to do so in Singida, Manyoni and Makambako by 2027.
According to him, Tanzania will produce a total of 750 MW of wind and solar energy from Shinyanga, Singida, Dodoma, Iringa and Njombe.
“This energy source will help to strengthen the availability of electricity in the country, especially during drought seasons when the water levels drop.
There will be no power shortage because electricity will continue to be produced through wind and solar,” he stressed.
On geothermal, he said the government has purchased a rig for drilling geothermal wells in Kyejo Mbaka and Ngozi in Mbeya Region and Songwe that is expected to produce 200 MW by 2030.
He noted that the government also has a strategy for clean cooking energy for 10 years from 2024 to 2034.
“The plan is to have at least 80 percent of Tanzanians using clean cooking energy through available sources,” he said.
For his part, Tanzania Renewable Energy Association (Tarea) chairman Prosper Magali said the government was implementing several projects to meet the 2050 deadline for ending emissions.
“Sixty percent of electricity produced in the country is from natural gas, and we also have the Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project (JNHPP), which when 100 percent completed will reduce the use of fuel,” he said.
According to the report, 66 percent of households currently rely on traditional stoves with poor ventilation, and approximately 32 percent use self-built or manufactured biomass stoves.
On the cost of cooking fuels, the report revealed that one in six households (18 percent) cannot access modern cooking solutions because cooking fuel costs exceed 5 percent of their total income.
However, 82 percent of households can afford modern solutions.
Traditional fuels and high-emission stoves still dominate, with half of the households using stoves that emit substantial smoke and gases.
Inefficiency in these stoves contributes to deforestation due to the high demand for firewood and charcoal.
