Posts Tagged ‘tanzania’
The Tanzanian Government has set some bold energy goals
Monday, November 15th, 2010
While speaking at the annual Energy Sector Review workshop in September in Dar es Salaam, Bashir Mrindoko, Energy and Petroleum Affairs commissioner in the Energy and Minerals Ministry, stated that “Up to 75 per cent of Tanzania’s population will have access to electricity by 2033 if there is greater innovation and financial investment in the sector… and revealed that a target of a yearly 100,000 new household connections has been set but the highest number of new connections achieved so far in one year is 60,000.” (http://www.ippmedia.com/frontend//index.php?l=21337)
This may sound hopeful for the 98% of rural Tanzanians that do not have access to the electricity grid, relying instead on a combination of biomass, candles, and kerosene for lighting but grid expansion to many of these communities has no chance of becoming feasible in the near future. With that in mind, Mrindoko also acknowledged that “renewable sources of energy may be more cost-effective and reliable options especially in rural areas”.
This statement exemplifies the government’s commitment to a new electrification policy. Now the challenge for Tanzania is how to put this policy into action. The past few months have seen the announcement of several new funding mechanisms intended to incentivize various stakeholders, mainly private business, to create new and innovative programs to help Tanzania achieve these goals.
One such fund was introduced by UK-Aid this week. REACT (Rural Energies and Adaptation to Climate Technologies) a new funding window from African Enterprise Challenge Fund, targets the private sector by offering to invest 250,000 to $1.5 million US in for -profit businesses providing low cost clean energy solutions for the rural poor. The only caveat being a dollar for dollar matching commitment, which is quite high for most small to medium sized entrepreneurs to meet. Therefore, it is difficult for them to see their business expand quickly enough to repay the ‘repayable grant’ in the required six year time frame. The fund does allow for investors and financial service providers such as E+CO to apply and channel the funds down the supply chain. Perhaps it may incentivize local Micro-Finance Companies to create a loan scheme specifically designed for acquiring energy technologies.
For smaller scale organizations which cannot meet REACT’s required matching commitment but whose programs need supplemental funding, the Governments of Austria and Finland have teamed up to launch the second round of the Energy & Environment Partnership Programme (‘EEP’). EEP aims to increase access to sustainable energy services derived from renewable energy sources with special attention given to solutions for rural areas. Encouraging partnerships at all levels, EEP’s approach will grant up to 200,000 Euros to private, public, and non-governmental organizations, universities and other researchers. These partners may be international or locally based but working together to develop programs that will be rolled out in East Africa.
Also announced last week was the Swedish Government allotment of 44 Billion Tshs ($29M US) over five years to the Government of Tanzania’s Rural Energy Agency to improve electricity access to the rural population. That is in addition to the existing funding available from the REA’s Rural Energy Fund earmarked for independent projects which either will expand generation capacity or deliver off grid electricity solutions.
These funds bring promise, though Bashir Mrindoko also added that “…100,000 new connections per annum would mean only 21 per cent electrification by 2030…achieving the 2033 goal would require an annual 485,000 connections from this year.” Also, he indicated that “reaching that target would call for an injection of an estimated US$20 billion”. This is a much bigger commitment than these funds alone can achieve but that is the point. The fund’s purpose is to invest in a variety of simultaneous multiple actions, each one designed to scale up as the business and program grows.
The technologies are here. The last few decades have seen a mixture of generation methods introduced, from small hydro power generation, to solar and wind, to LPG, biomass gasification, and cogeneration. As for the many entrepreneurs with innovative business ideas which need a decent infusion of capital to take it to the next step, the investors are starting to step up and make funds available so targets may be achieved.
Tags: energy4everyone, patient capital, tanzania
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
One Planet, Worlds Apart
Wednesday, October 6th, 2010
From time to time, I’m struck by how much I, and many others in North America, take certain situations and services for granted. This was one such occasion. A few weeks ago, I was sitting in a hospital room – a maternity delivery suite to be precise – when I realized my good fortune, and not just because I was awaiting the arrival of my new daughter.
The hospital room I was sitting in was well light and air conditioned. My wife was hooked up to a myriad of electrical devices measuring everything from her blood pressure to the baby’s heart rate. The delivery room was sterile and it had a private bathroom. Yet only a few days earlier I had been talking with my colleague, Joanne, about a similar situation in Tanzania. In many parts of Tanzania, expectant mothers who go into labour between dusk and dawn and who are able to reach a medical clinic, must pay for the kerosene used to fuel the kerosene lamps at the clinic, in order to provide some form of lighting for the medical practitioner to deliver the baby.
Now, my experience of child birth is limited, but I don’t believe it’s unreasonable to suggest that child birth is a hard and stressful process for both mother and child, even in the most ideal of circumstances. Consider then the additional stress and potentially negative health implications if the delivery occurs in a poorly light, smoky and most likely hot and humid room. Yet this scenario is a common occurrence in many parts of Tanzania.
e4e wants to change this scenario. It will undoubtedly take time, and it can’t be done alone. But e4e is starting with a project that is working with local government to install solar lighting and solar power to medical clinics, high schools and orphanages in parts of the country. This should allow mothers to give birth in well light, smoke free rooms and children to undertake evening study. With hard work and effort, our worlds don’t need to be so far apart.
Tags: energy, energy4everyone, solar light, solar power, tanzania
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
sunday morning
Wednesday, June 9th, 2010
Sunday morning, I am reading in bed as the sun rises and day breaks. Without notice, the room is suddenly silent – the background whirl of the a/c is gone. Not ten seconds later, the reliable sound of an engine revving as the diesel generator comes to life. And add another ten seconds and I am once again blessed with the cool breeze of the air conditioner.
It is strange. In a city where only half of the population is even connected to the national grid and where a small number of these – major office building, industrial park, western hotel, and any residence housing diplomats/expats/and the Tanzanian upper class at least are equipped with a diesel generator. (Interesting enough, the Confederation of Tanzania Industry suggests that the unreliable supply of electricity is the main reason the country cannot be business competitive in East Africa; business have to focus first on costs involved with back-up power, or repairing damages incurred during the almost daily outages, many which are planned load sheds though often without any notice).
Yet here we always are, the expat community, grumbling when the power goes out. We rant that to have access to water, electricity, and the internet all at once is a rare blessing and should be celebrated. These conversations always leave me feeling awkward and uncomfortable. How many people in this country don’t have access to safe and clean water (32% says CARE Tanzania) grid electricity (10% according to the UNDP) and, the internet (CIA Factbook states 580,000 in 2008 – out of 40 Million)? Not even for a few pressure minutes a day, are the essential services that are no longer a privilege but a basic human right available. Most folks I have spent time with realize how ridiculous their whining sounds, but the ‘take for granted mentality’ is easy to slip back into when you are surrounded by the comforts of home.
It’s a shame to think that businesses will always go that extra mile to ensure that tourists and visitors to the country are comfortable during their stay, so we can get a comfortable night’s sleep in air conditioned rooms, write our blogs and email our home, take a hot shower as many times a day as our guilt ridden stomachs or blissfully ignorant heart’s desire, and suck back 1.5L bottles of water to stay hydrated. It’s a tough reality to swallow (along with my Anti-Malaria drug) some days.
And yes, I realize it is Wednesday. I would have posted this earlier, but my internet connection has been down.
Tags: energy4everyone, musings, tanzania
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »