By Francis Kajubi , The Guardian
THE yesterday’s edition highlighted the government’s new plan aiming to enhance investments in the natural gas sector, to cut spending on imported fuel for its vehicles, while enabling families and institutions to cut energy spending through shifting from the use of biomass and fossil fuels to natural gas.
In this final part of the report, the writer sheds insights on the government’s commitments towards cleaner energy consumption bearing on mind that 33,000 Tanzanians who dies annually due to consumption of charcoal and firewood in line with climate adaptation and mitigation measures, alongside the expert’s recommendations towards using electric vehicles; excerpts.
Addressing the Conference of the Parties (COP 28) Climate Summit in Dubai on December 1st 2023, President Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan said that Tanzania is maintaining efforts to ensure environmental conservation as stipulated by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).
The President said the country is advocating for cleaner cooking energy and requested global leaders to support the cause through enhanced financing.
She pledged that Tanzania will be on the front line in the implementation of the new adopted Africa Women Clean Cooking Support Programme (AWCCSP).
The programme she launched herself during the COP 28 summit targets at fostering the use of clean cooking energy to address health, environmental, economic and social challenges that mostly pose negative impacts on women and children.
Dr. Samia used the opportunity to call upon global leaders to act on unfulfilled pledges in tackling climate change implications including the Copenhagen Climate Agreement in which world nations committed to a collective contribution of $100billion (253trn/-) annually for climate actions.
She cited the Paris Agreement as another pledge that nations ought to act on. According to the United Nations (UN), the Agreement aims at limiting global Carbon emissions to below 1.5 degree Celsius.
"Unfulfilled commitments erode global solidarity and trust in achieving sustainable development targets based on strengthened climate adaptation and resilience," said President Samia.
Globally, the COP 28 themed: "Unite, Act and Deliver," while Tanzania observed the event under the theme: "Strengthen resilience agriculture and blue economy to prevent climate change."
Maimuna Ramadhani (32), a food vendor at Mbezi commuter bus stop said that Charcoal is becoming the most expensive commodity in running her business.
“Since the rainy season began, charcoal prices have been soaring on a weekly basis. Early November last year I used to pay 1,200/- for a can which I now pay 2,000/-,” said Maimuna.
According to her, customers prefer food cooked on a charcoal stove than on a gas stove.
Twalibu Saidi, Chairman of Charcoal sellers at Mabibo market in Dar es Salaam said at the market there are five charcoal dealing units that each unit brings two trucks a month in the city each truck lashed with 280 sacks of charcoal weighing between 45 and 50kg each.
He explained that ten trucks with 280 charcoal sacks each enter Mabibo market from Njombe, Pwani and Iringa regions a month. The sacks weighed between 45 Kg and 50 Kg are sold at 35,000/- and 45,000/-.
“I can't switch to selling LPG because every business needs experience. I have been in this business for nine years. It’s hard to abandon charcoal consumption. People have gas cylinders and still use charcoal in their homes,” he said adding;
“Street bar owners and meat roasters are still our core customers. The same applies to cassava and potato roasters, they must have charcoal. It is possible to cut down on charcoal consumption but not eliminate it.”
Johari Isaak, an LPG cylinders retail seller at Goba suburb in the city said that most of her customers prefer 15Kg cylinders that fetch 24,000/- each.
“I serve a maximum of 20 customers a week who come to buy and exchange cylinders. One can use the 15Kg LPG cylinder for a month,” said Isaak.
Engineer Gerutu Bosinge, CNG Workshop Manager at the Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology (DIT) said that a shift to natural gas and biogas is inevitable bearing in mind the impacts of climate change that had led to floods and drought since 2021.
According to him, DIT started the conversion of vehicles into the CNG system in 2008 with three cars. DIT monitored the performance of the cars until 2018 when it was satisfied that the system works well with long durability and cost saving advantages.
“As the government’s entity we have been closely collaborating with the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) in converting the vehicles. Of the 4.500 already converted vehicles as of this month, DIT converted 3.200 while the remaining were converted with TPDC,” said Bosinge.
He asserted that to convert a car to using CNG it costs between 1.8mn/- and 2.5mn/- depending on the engine capacity which according to him is affordable due to government’s interventions unless people could have been paying between 3mn/- and 4mn/- to convert their cars.
“CNG emits only one gram per kilometer of carbon in the air while the number of carbon emissions in the air by a car using diesel is 12 grams per kilometer and that using petrol emits eight grams per kilometer. In that regard, CNG is more environmentally friendly than petroleum products,” said Bosinge.
Bosinge defended that small vehicles using CNG are likely to save more than three times per filling compared to their petrol counterparts. For medium and big CNG using vehicles, the economic savings is significant, and varies depending on the route length.
He said according to a study conducted by DIT in Dar es Salaam June 2022 when petrol cap rice in the city stood at 2,994/- per liter, it was proved that IST drivers paid 17,000/- for an 11 Kilogram CNG cylinder that could go the same distance as an IST driver who paid 75,000/- for petrol. The savings was 58,000/- for a CNG consumer.
Bosinge said the study further revealed that an IST car using an 11 Kilogram CNG cylinder can go a distance of between 200 Kilometers and 280 Kilometers. This translates into a distance of between 18 Kilometers and 25 Kilometers per one Kilogram of CNG.
He explained that a RAV 4 with a 17Kg CNG cylinder can go between 140 Kilometers and 220 Kilometers plying between 13 Kilometers and 20 Kilometers per one Kilogram of CNG.
“For a Land Cruiser V8 which is mostly used by government officials a 17 Kilogram CNG cylinder which currently fetches 17,000/- can be used for traveling between 80 Kilometers and 100 Kilometers;
It means that one kilogram of CNG can be used to travel between five to nine kilometers. By using petrol the same consumer is likely to pay up to 200,000/-,” affirmed Bosinge.
Emmanuel Gilbert, TPDC Gas Business Manager said that the corporation has been supplying the Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited (TANESCO) liquefied natural gas (LNG) from which it generates 60 percent of electricity supplied by the company.
“There are 57 factories in Dar es Salaam, Lindi and Mtwara regions that TODC supplies LNG for production of electricity and for running machineries. Five CNG filling stations in Dar es Salaam are also supplied with LNG,” said Gilbert.
According to him, so far 1,500 houses in Dar es Salaam, Lindi and Mtwara regions are supplied with LNG of which 880 are in Dar es Salaam, 500 in Mtwara and the remaining are in Mnazi Mmoja suburb in Lindi region.
“TPDC plans are as of May this year to commence connection of LNG to another new 1,000 houses at Mnazi Mmoja in Lindi region and in Mkuranga district in Pwani region,” said Gilbert.
On the way forward, he asserted that TPDC has already secured a one acre plot along the Sam Nujoma highway where it plans in the 2024/25 financial year to construct a CNG filling station with a capacity of serving 16 cars at once.
“There are six companies that I can disclose for now that has shown interest in opening CNG stations in Dar es Salaam. They are also conducting a market survey in Dodoma, Manyara and Morogoro regions for establishing CNG stations,” said Gilbert.
The National Climate Change Response Strategy 2021-2026 states that Tanzania’s economy depends on climate sensitive sectors that have significant contributions on employment and gross domestic product growth (GDP).
It mentions these sectors as agriculture, mining, tourism, fisheries, construction and transportation. It states that among major objectives of the strategy is to enhance mainstreaming climate change issues at the nation and local government development plans and budgets.
“The strategy targets at attracting diversification of clean energy sources for household and industrial consumption come 2026 so that to minimize emissions of greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change,” reads the strategy in part.
Janevive Samson, a Mikocheni resident in Dar es Salaam said that her car would be converted into using CNG in 2022 basking that it is cheaper and durable compared to petrol.
“I spent 2mn/- in converting the car. I think conversion costs might have been scaring away people. The cost should be reviewed to bring in more vehicle owners,” she suggested.
Founder and CEO of Syntroleum Petrochemical Group Limited Abraham Baisi argued that the government shouldn’t be promoting LPG and CNG consumption if it truly needs to shift from carbon emitting energy sources such as natural gas and coal.
“LNG, CNG and LPG are not clean energy sources for the environment. The government should be speaking of converting vehicles into using electricity if it really wants to shift to using clean energy,” argued Baisi.
The 2022 World Bank (WB) report dubbed: “Economics of Electric Vehicles for Passenger Transportation,” states that adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) in developing countries is slow.
It states that more than half the world benefits economically by adopting electric mobility.
“The financial rewards of electric mobility can be substantial even considering high up-front costs because electric vehicles from two-wheeled scooters to buses are less expensive to run and maintain,” reads the World Bank report.
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