BP Promotes Solar Energy Use in Tanzania

"We want to bring in the solar power facilities which cost almost a half of the current minimum price," says Boniphas Nyamo-Hanga, the BP Tanzania's solar sale engineer. The prices, he notes, will continue to go down as taxes are reduced.

Currently, a solar facility costs between Tsh400,000 (US$400) and Tsh5 million ($5,000). Importers cite heavy import duties and higher value added tax as the cause of exorbitant prices.

However, as blackouts haunt Tanzania, the demand for solar power has grown dramatically since the 1990s in Tanzania. But energy experts say most people have failed to access them because of its expensive prices.

BP has responded accordingly. According to Nyamo-Hanga, the company will bring into Tanzania small solar power systems with the capacity of two lighting. He hopes these will serve most rural people who lack electricity.

BP Tanzania's solar products can be guaranteed to more than 10 years for panels and more than a two-year guarantee for batteries and inverters.

Solar power also is important for reducing child mortality rate in the rural areas because it will help run refrigeration to store vaccines. It will also electrify clinics, health centres and dispensaries in rural areas.

It will help stimulate economic development in the rural areas because people will be able to work even at night.

Nearly two-thirds of the world's rural inhabitants have no access to electricity, and 70 per cent have difficulties in obtaining clean drinking water.

As the rural communities are often scattered and remote, their energy needs require autonomous power supplies that are long lasting, reliable and simple to maintain.

BP solar facilities will also help the people in the rural areas to access water because the systems has the capacity to raise water from depths of up to 100 metres underground.

However, he would like the government to review its tax regime to make prices of imported goods affordable to the majority of Tanzania.

It should lower Value Added Tax to match with other East African countries.

Currently, users of BP solar facilities in Tanzania include the Tanzania Railways Corporation, the Morogoro Rural District, Selous Game Reserve, Rufiji District Hospital and individuals. Such customers need power for their small projects and for domestic use.

BP Tanzania's Solar Section has been involved in various activities for more than 10 years now.

Such activities include sensitising the public on the technology, supplying solar energy facility spares, providing technical assistance and installing solar energy equipment.

BP Tanzania's Solar is one of the BP Solar regional distributors, which was established more than 15 years ago.

The company has grown as one of the world's largest and most successful solar energy companies.

It has sales offices in Dar es Salaam, Mwanza, Arusha, Moshi, Mtwara and Makambako. Such offices are also involved in researches and the provision of technical assistance and training to people on solar technology.

For example, people are told that the solar energy is reliable and is environmentally friendly. This is unlike coal, oil, charcoal and gas that pollute the environment.

One can make an installation without needing pylons or electric poles, and the last means cutting trees, said Nyamo-Hanga.

BP Solar maintains a global reach through a integrated network of manufacturing and customer support operations.

The Tanzania government has been making efforts to promote and develop the uses of solar power. Tanzania is a signatory of a declaration of a world solar summit held in Zimbabwe in 1996.

The meeting was aimed at establishing a collective approach to promotion social awareness on the use of solar energy.

Also, the government through ministry of energy and minerals has established a department involved in the promotion of the technology to Tanzanians.

The national policy on energy introduced in 1990 explains the roles of the government in developing sustainable energy sources, solar being among these sources.

Institutions such as the University of Dar es Salaam, the Sokoine University of Agriculture, non-governmental organisations and the Commission for Science and Technology are conducting researches on solar technology.

Biogas, biomass, geothermal, solar and wind energies are alternative energies.

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