Tanzania turns to alternative energy

  1. Posted on Wednesday 16 July 2008 - 08:55
    deodatus
    deofuga@yahoo.com
    Deodatus Mfugale, Africanews reporter in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
    Tanzania president Jakaya Kikwete is inaugurating today a biogas plant which feeds on sisal waste has been constructed in Hale township in Tanga region. This is part of In a bid to curb the problem of unreliable electricity which has affected industrial operation and stifled the economy.
    Jakaya_kikwete
    The construction of the plant, billed to be the only one of its kind in the world, has been financed by Common Fund Commodities (CFC), United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO), the Tanzania Sisal Board (TSB) and Katani Ltd, a company which deals with sisal farming and processing in Tanga region. The total cost stands at $1.5million.

    Experts in the energy sector say the plant will generate enough reliable energy to meet the needs of the sisal industry in Tanga region where there are major sisal processing factories and large sisal estates. It will also solve the problem of sisal waste disposal which until recently was not properly managed.

    “There will be enough gas to produce electricity for use by the various sisal estates in the region. Surplus electricity produced would be sold to the national grid and so raise additional income to the estates,” said Ambassador Ali Mchumo, Managing Director of CFC.

    The new plant will go a long way towards making Tanzania realize its rural electrification programme as it will also supply electricity to villages near sisal estates.

    The Tanga biogas plant falls under the Cleaner Development Mechanism (CDM) projects in the country.

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