The Government of the United Republic of Tanzania, through the Rural Energy Agency (REA), has introduced a solar power project valued at 801.74 million shillings in Lindi Region, targeting all five islands in Kilwa district.
This initiative aims to enhance electricity access in these remote areas, which are far from the National Grid, while promoting the use of clean technology through solar energy systems.
During the project handover, Lindi Regional Administrative Secretary, Ms. Zuwena Jiri, acknowledged the receipt of the project and urged the local residents, especially those on the islands, to seize this opportunity since the government has already provided subsidies.
"Every household will have its own independent system. My call to the residents, particularly those on the islands, is to take advantage of this opportunity. If someone were to install a solar system independently, it could be quite costly, but the government has provided a subsidy of up to seventy-five percent (75%)," said Ms. Zuwena.
In addition, Ms. Zuwena encouraged the people of Lindi Region to take advantage of the Improved Cookstoves initiative, where the government has offered an 85% subsidy, reducing the cost of a single stove to 9,000 shillings instead of the actual price of 60,000 shillings.
On his part, the Energy Technology Manager from REA, Mr. Michael Kyessi, stated that the project aims to distribute 5,576 Improved Cookstoves in Lindi Region, with 1,115 stoves allocated to each district.
"The total cost of the project for Lindi Region is 346,560,000.00 shillings, with the government providing a subsidy of 294,576,000.00 shillings. The service provider is Tango Energy Ltd, and a total of 5,776 improved stoves will be sold to the residents at subsidized prices. The cost of one stove is TZS 60,000 before the subsidy, so the government will provide an 85% subsidy equivalent to TZS 51,000, allowing residents to purchase the stove for just 9,000 shillings. These stoves will be distributed across the five districts of Lindi Region," Mr. Kyessi explained. Regarding the solar project, which will reach 1,227 households across the five islands in the region, Mr. Kyessi noted that the systems are divided into three capacity tiers that have essential capacity to provide efficient energy for rural users .