Govt to issue directives on alternative energy use in institutions

IN efforts to address effects of climate change, the government said it would soon issue directives to public institutions that still use charcoal for cooking to shift to alternative energy.

Minister of State in the Vice-President’s Office (Union and Environment), Dr Selemani Jafo, said the institutions include boarding schools, prisons and army barracks, among others.

“We will soon issue directives to institutions with more than 100 people on how to start using clean energy and get rid of using charcoal in efforts to engage each institution in efforts to address climate change and protect the environment,” Mr Jafo stated.

The minister was speaking at the weekend during launching of a new solar-powered petrol station owned by Oryx Energies Tanzania in Dar es Salaam.

The company’s petrol station located at Mwenge area, is the first-ever petrol station that produces for itself 21MW from solar panels, while its demand is only 9MW.

The surplus electricity produced at the Oryx Energies Tanzania, which is about 12MW will be pumped into the National Grid.

It was constructed under the company’s Solar Energy’ Initiative that is a project to connect its stations and depots to solar energy, which is more environmentally friendly sources of energy.

Mr Jafo commended the company for deciding to shift to using  solar energy.

“This gives me impression that directives by President Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan wanting each individual institutions to come up with strategies for combating climate change. I see you Oryx implementing the directives,” he said.

He noted that the world was facing impacts of climate change and Tanzania was not spared since it faces effects like lowering of water level in rivers, hence affecting power production.

Tanzania has a target of reducing carbon emission by between 30-35 per cent by 2030.

“Big investors should opt using alternative energy to reduce emission in combating climate change,” he emphasised.

Earlier, the Managing Director of Oryx Energies Tanzania, Mr Kalpesh Mehta, said the company has commitment to operate its business in the best environmentally friendly practice as possible.

With that in mind the ‘Solar Energy Initiative of ’Oryx Energies Tanzania is on a major expansion journey of its customer footprint and this will be structured by educating and protecting its environment where it operates.