Tanzania has officially launched a multi-billion-shilling solar energy project targeting 120 islands across eight regions bordering major lakes and the Indian Ocean.
The ambitious initiative aims to install 20,000 solar power systems at a total cost of 8 billion Tanzanian shillings (about 3.2 million U.S. dollars).
Recognising the financial hurdles faced by rural populations, President Samia Suluhu Hassan has directed a substantial government subsidy of up to 75 percent on connection costs, ensuring that clean energy remains affordable for the nation’s most isolated citizens.
The Deputy Minister for Energy, Salome Makamba officially launched the project which took place on Bezi Island within the Ilemela District of the Mwanza Region.
Executed under the Rural Energy Agency (REA), the project is designed to bypass the geographical barriers that have historically left island and delta regions in the dark.
During the inauguration, Makamba highlighted the unique challenges these areas face, including their vast distance from the National Grid and the prohibitive costs of transporting electrical infrastructure over water.
Other regions set to benefit from the program include Geita, Kagera, and Mara along Lake Victoria; Rukwa along Lake Rukwa; and Lindi, Mtwara, and Coast along the Indian Ocean.
Makamba added that the project would directly support Tanzania’s blue economy agenda by enabling fishermen to add value to fish products before marketing, while also boosting aquaculture, seaweed farming, and beach tourism.
According to information obtained from REA, the project would be implemented over a two-year period.
MG/as/APA