Hello kaka Michuzi!
Thanks for giving us an opportunity to express ourselves in our beloved blog and get to know what’s going on back home. When I was in Tanzania late Nov last year to Jan 2011, I experienced what exactly the country is experiencing recently. I’m talking about ‘‘electricity rationing’’, its not like the first time for me, but now its sounds weird to see the situation still exist and its becoming more worse!
Let’s get to the point because I’m not a politician!! I’m right here to address my ideas of expertise from a practical point of view that can be taken by policy makers, politicians and experts as opinions and optimal sustainable solutions for the remedying the energy problem. Basically, I’m talking from experience, from what I saw, I know and from what others are saying and from what have been said by professionals; BUT nothing happened rather than ‘‘The Dark Tanzania’’.
For your information, Tanzania has been struggling with one of the lowest electricity rates in sub-Saharan Africa where on average less than 15 percent of the Tanzanian population has access to electricity. And only 2 percent of the same population living in rural areas has access to electricity.
Dar es Salaam city consumes more than 50 percent of power generated in the country and the small rest goes to other towns and rural areas. Tanzania faces a major challenge to provide more than 85 percent of the remaining population with electricity, which will require big investment, expertise and patriotism.
Electricity and energy in general seem to take fore debate and news spots in the country because it reaches a point where even those accessing electricity still suffer with severe energy rationing. Few weeks ago, I heard many industries either they just reduced or stopped production at all due to erratic power supply to avoid the cost of generating emergency electricity that will definitely make them bankruptcy.
The government now is losing billions of money due to the impact of unreliable electricity on the industrial sector. Jobs are lost in the formal manufacturing firms and dropping down in informal sectors. Life is miserable in the street; now we should expect high rate of poverty due to the fact that it is affected by various factors, electricity being just one, the increase of crimes, fertility rate (something to do in the darkness) dearth rates, poor social services and e.tc.
Why Tanzania still in darkness?? It’s hard to believe that, right? But that’s the reality! Of course the country is poor, BUT is poor from the economic point of view and among the least developed countries in the world DESPITE its important potentials in natural resources that can boost the social economic and well being of Tanzanians.
Truly, there is something missing about the energy sector. Something missing about people who have been given a chance to serve us but they don’t! The country still in GIZA TOTORO due to many many many reasons. Few to mention, political intrigues that have hampered the growth of this key sector(energy), poor bureaucracy, the lack of an integrated approach on achieving the best solutions for Tanzania energy, inappropriate technology, poor allocation of funds.
The energy sector is not sufficient enhanced; the expansion and modernization of infrastructure are some of the challenges should be addressed (wahusika wamelala au Hawajui chakufanya) so that the country can realize the economic potential it has. For instance previous, installation and operation of the turbines is poor in our only hope KIDATU, MTERA and KIHANSI to feed the National Electricity Grid System. And that’s why several times Tanesco tells the public about Machine breackdown! From this perspective of sustainability I have, rehabilitation of infrastructure and installation of modern facilities is necessary after investing in hydropower production without forgetting appropriate mitigation on climate changes that killing us now (law water evel).
Take an example of Akasombo dam in Ghana that was constructed almost at the same time as different dams in Tanzania like Mtera and Kidatu. But Ghana has regularly updated and increased their capacity of production by improving technology while in Tanzania the production is extremely poor!
Moreover, there is a problem of local skills in developing electricity projects and fully private sector participation in this arena is missing. Besides, the contribution of electricity is reflected not only in the value it adds, but also in the way that the need for power exists in all other sectors.
Further, clear strategy and energy policy implementation will make it possible to both urban and rural dwellers to facilitate reliable energy services. Initiatives should be undertaken for further research and develop small hydropower projects for rural electrification, also wind and solar energy respectively. If energy sector improved will attract investment capital to the energy production arena but its sustainability will depend on the domestically driven undertaking.
Another possible explanation is, the country should also depend on other sources of energy rather than relying only on hydropower if the Tanzanian government wants to achieve the development vision by 2025. Many studies revealed that, solar energy and wind energy are economically feasible and affordable. The country is located in the tropic area with abundant natural sunlight where it is possible for solar technology to provide cheap, clean and renewable energy particularly for household domain.
Thanks to Jakaya’s government, there is ongoing wind project in Singida. Wind power can also be possible in Tanzania (Hai district and Singida) because wind speed is fairly high and coincides during the dry seasons.
The shortage of energy produced through hydropower during the dry seasons could be prevailed if solar and wind energy harvested. For example the current low shortage of electricity in the country is an obstacle for MDG’s and development vision. In order to achieve both, where by Tanzania aims to the middle income people, then every household should at least have access to use not less than 300Watts by 2025.
The population will be around 50 million people which is equal to 15,000 Megawatts. Meanwhile, the country does not have the capacity to generate even 1200 Megawatts after 50 years of independence. For the same speed of Tanesco shown in the last 15 years in connecting household to the National Grid system for electricity supply, they need 172 years to do so! The situation is a big challenge to the government and the Tanzania electric supply company.
It’s just a beginning…More info is coming…
Mdau:Janbert Kiwia
kiwiajanbert@yahoo.com
Nakubaliana nawe ila fikiria haya:-
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Kukosa umeme TZ pia ni njia inayotumiwa na viongozi wetu kunyonya wananchi wao na kulitia taifa kwenye umaskini maana bila Umeme hakuna maendeleo.