TANZANIA: THE Rural Energy Agency (REA) has outlined several strategic plans to be implemented in the current financial year to enhance the use of clean cooking energy in the country as well as protecting environment.
REA Director General, Engineer Hassan Saidy said the plans include implementation of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), natural gas and biogas projects as a source of clean cooking energy.
He told journalists here on Friday that the government has allocated 10bn/- in the current financial year for distribution of LPG and its burners, whereas to start with, each region will be provided with 2,700 gas stoves.
Moreover, he said, so far 3bn/- has been spent as a subsidy to facilitate distribution of 71,000 gas stoves in rural areas.
He said discussions are at an advanced stage to have LPG gas refill stations in remote and rural areas so that people can easily access the services.
In enforcing President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s directives which requires institutions with more than 300 people to use clean cooking energy, Eng Saidy said, plans are underway to construct bio-gas infrastructure for institutions that fall under the category.
They include education institutions, prisons, army camps, health facilities and those carrying out the commercial catering services.
The government will also disburse 20bn/- in the current financial year for the construction of the Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) distribution infrastructure in Dar es Salaam, Lindi and Mtwara regions.
The project will be carried out by REA in collaboration with the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC).
“Through the project, a distribution pipeline of 44.4 -kilometre will be constructed from Mnazi Mmoja – Lindi -Mkuranga and Coast Region and more than 980 households will benefit from it” he explained.
The World Bank through the Results Based Financing (RBF) through REA has issued a 6-million US dollar grant for distribution of low energy cooking stoves using modern cooking technology.
He said more than 200 stoves will be distributed in rural and remote areas as well as peri-urban areas in Mainland in government efforts to promote clean cooking energy.
REA DG also said that the government has set aside 10bn/- in this financial year as a Credit Line Facility for the construction of filling stations in villages where there are no gas stations.
On the rural electrification projects, he said, REA has been promoting and facilitating investments of projects in a number of rural areas in all regions of Mainland Tanzania.
He mentioned some of the projects as those that contribute power to the national grid, including working on off -grid, mini grid, renewable energy sources and stand-alone Solar PV systems projects so that no area in the country is left without energy for improved economy and public welfare.
REA has forged a working relations with three investors for the stand-alone solar PV for 28 Islands, which according to their geographical positions, makes it hard to be connected.
Through the projects, the government will spend 11.18bn/- to reach people living in islands in the regions of Mwanza, Mara and Lindi. The target is to reach almost 9,515 people.
On rural electrification projects in all 12,318 Mainland villages, Eng Saidy said they will all be reached by June 2024 since the remaining villages are only 4,071.
Adjourning the 11th session of the 12th Parliament in June this year, Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa instructed ministries, departments and public institutions to prepare clean cooking energy implementation strategies and action plans which align with the government roadmap.
Mr Majaliwa said the government is embarking on increasing citizens and institutions’ awareness on the importance of using clean cooking energy, enabling sustainable, easy access and affordable infrastructures for cooking energy.
