9.4bn/- to boost market rollout of clean cooking solutions in Tanzania
TANZANIA: A TOTAL of 44 clean cooking energy enterprises have been selected for the award of grant funding from the CookFund programme, which is funded by European Union (EU) and managed by UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF).
The award totaling 9.4bn/- completes the second call for proposals phase from eligible businesses operating in five urban areas of Dar es Salaam, Morogoro, Dodoma, Mwanza and Coast Region to substantially increase the uptake of clean cooking technologies by the end user.
The programme supports solutions include bioethanol, electric pressure cookers, liquified petroleum gas and improved charcoal stoves, effectively supporting the government of Tanzania target of reaching 80 per cent of households in Tanzania, adopting and transitioning to clean cooking energy by 2033.
Speaking during the Awards Ceremony, Deputy Minister for Energy Judith Kapinga said, “The government values programmes like the CookFund and hopes that it will help to alleviate the current dependence on traditional cooking energy.”
Speaking on behalf of the EU, Mr Merel said, “This project is giving a visible contribution to the development of private sector investments in the sector of clean cooking and responds to the rapid urbanisation, in Tanzania as well as globally, where solutions for clean cooking are urgently needed.”
The new grantees join the initial 16 recipients, totaling 60 grants disbursed under CookFund. As the Fund Manager and primary programme implementer, UNCDF offers ongoing support to grant recipients, ensuring effective fund utilisation, promoting technical capacity building and monitoring programme operations for accountability.
Mr Imanuel Muro, CookFund Programme Manager said, “With the presentation of the second round of grants, we are advancing a mechanism that empowers enterprises and promote a strategic shift in Tanzania’s energy landscape. The CookFund fosters a diversified energy mix, channeling resources towards clean cooking technologies that replace harmful cooking practices and ensure a more sustainable and resilient energy future for our nation.”
Based on the Tanzania Mainland Household Budget Survey (2017/18), access to clean fuels and technologies for cooking is only 17.1 per cent of urban population and 2 per cent of rural population.
The increase in demand for wood-fuel is driven by rapid urbanisation, high prices and the limited availability of alternative fuels. To overcome these challenges, the CookFund’s intention is to increase the share of population using sustainable clean cooking energy solutions in urban areas.
The CookFund provides financial and technical assistance to eligible enterprises and companies to accelerate market roll-out of clean cooking solutions (stoves and fuels) leading to improved social, economic and environmental conditions.
It finances capital expenditures and/or working capital for building the internal capacity of businesses involved in the production, importation, distribution, wholesale or retail of stoves, fuels, or related products and services.
