Tanzania can make Dodoma solar, wind energy paradise

In 1907 a small town, named Idodomya, was built in the land of Wagogo by the German colonists. It was a midway hub as they were building the central railway in German East Africa, and now independent Tanzania.

The small town then has grown to be the national capital of Tanzania in a span of over 100 years. We are talking about Dodoma City in Dodoma Region, which geographically speaking is at the centre of our nation.

The semi-arid region suffers low and erratic rainfall, and it has only a single rainy season in a year between November/December and April/May. Why do I have this city in mind? Of late, we have experienced shortage of drinking water especially in Dar es Salaam city. Also there is power shortage because most of the power from the national grid is hydro-generated.

For Dodoma region, there is adequate sunshine for solar power and adequate wind, for wind power, which can run our capital city, and make the nation proud for being truly a green city.

Sometimes back in 2017, I wrote in this column that it was important to encourage households across the nation to use solar power.

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If every household or office today that is complaining about power interruptions had a second source of power, naturally solar, we would not be talking about the huge losses caused by power interruptions. But it is not too late. I will argue, just as I did, in 2017, that it is important for the government to encourage via policy measures the adoption of solar energy across Tanzania.

Available research documents indicate Tanzania has high solar energy levels (2800 to 3500 hours of sunshine per year). There is also a global horizontal radiation of 4–7 kWh/m2/day. If harnessed, the potential can be even added to the national grid. The World Bank at one time noted that Tanzania has “wind energy potential greater than that of the US State of California.”

In about 3 years to come, we shall face the end of Tanzania Development Vision 2025. It was crafted by technocrats 3rd phase government of the late President, Benjamin William Mkapa. One of its compelling visions was to see Tanzania by 2025, to have “a well-established economy that is competitive, diverse, resilient and strong.”

We have come a long way, and yes, we have a greatly improved economy, but the question is, are we able to “effectively address developmental tasks and adapt to market-related and technological changes,” as envisioned by the national document?

On 18th January 1990, Mwalimu Julius Nyerere at the Geneva International Institute of International Studies, said “the world changes through the advancement of Science and Technology, and through empowered institutions. This process is unpredictable, unstoppable, and currently very fast.” Mwalimu Nyerere noted that for the third world to advance use of innovations and advances in science and technology was the way.

He spoke of a possibility of a future “where the sun, the wind and the waves of the sea could be used as a substitute for the energy in use, which was derived from deforestation, burning of coal or oil, or the release of nuclear waste.”

For Tanzania, this time has come. We must be able to adapt to new changes. It is high time Tanzania adopted the use of solar and wind energy.

Once again I reiterate that we have a good National Energy Policy, but it would be prudent to have a standalone solar policy, as well as wind energy policy. Maybe as a new Tanzania Development Vision is created to replace the one that ends in 2025, I hope wind and solar energy solutions will be prioritized. We can start by making Dodoma city as our first green energy city!