ABU DHABI: THE Tanzanian government has committed itself to developing geothermal energy to ensure the country has sufficient, affordable, and sustainable power derived from a diversified energy mix.
The Minister for Energy, Deogratius Ndejembi, made the statement, noting that among many other reasons, the country’s aim is also to support global goals of transitioning to clean energy-based electricity generation.
Speaking at the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) during the Annual Meeting of the Global Geothermal Alliance (GGA), held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates the minister said that to implement the commitment, the government has incorporated geothermal power generation plans into the Development Vision 2050, the 2015 National Energy Policy, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the climate change framework.
Additionally, the minister said that Tanzania, through the Tanzania Geothermal Development Company (TGDC) is developing several priority geothermal sites, including Ngozi (70 MW), Songwe (5–38 MW), Kiejo-Mbaka (60 MW), Natron (60 MW), and Luhoi (5 MW).
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He said that the goal is to commission the country’s first geothermal power plant with a capacity of 130 megawatts by 2030, starting with an initial generation of 30 megawatts.
Furthermore, minister Ndejembi noted that due to the presence of the Great Rift Valley, Tanzania is endowed with abundant geothermal resources capable of generating up to 5,000 megawatts of electricity.
He said that 52 sites with geothermal indicators have been identified across 16 regions of the country.
At the IRENA meeting, Minister Ndejembi was accompanied by Tanzania’s Acting Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bakari Ameir, the Assistant Commissioner for Renewable Energy, Engineer Imani Mruma, as well as other experts from the Ministry of Energy.