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COSTECH

Industry and Energy

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Energy Program

COSTECH and other relevant R&D institutions in the country have been active in promoting the use of alternative energy technologies suitable for rural area and low-income urban population. A substantial amount of work has been done in this field but so far, there is no comprehensive body of knowledge on the state of the art. The proposed programme has a long-term strategy of solving energy problems especially for domestic use. However, as a short-term measure it is intended to assess the existing efforts and where possible suggest improvement through better energy technology alternatives, their design and development, testing and popularization.

Aims:

  • Creating awareness among the population and the general public on the adverse effects of uncontrolled use of fuel wood as a source of energy and to promote the use of other alternative sources of energy;
  • Developing and improve affordable energy technologies for use by the rural masses and low-income urban population;
  • Creating a body of knowledge on energy projects in the country and maintain a database/inventory of viable energy technologies for rural application and low-income urban population and to map out the sources;
  • Evolving cooperative R&D activities in energy technology development through twinning of R&D institutions, joint energy technology projects and effective co-ordination of existing efforts; and Fostering regional and international co-operation in the effective utilization of new and renewable sources of energy.

Achievements:

Through this programme, COSTECH has facilitated and coordinated the use of renewable energy technologies in rural setting and low-income households in urban areas with a view of biomass conservation. The following are some of the achievements.

  • Two solar energy projects for lightening of the village school, dispensary and community centre accomplished in Umboji village Zanzibar and Mangaka Village in Masasi Mtwara.
  • Prepared a 10-year solar energy programme document which was tabled at the UNESCO organized World Solar Summit in Harare 1996. The programme was positively received and currently the Ministry of Energy and Minerals is coordinating the programme with the purpose of getting electricity in villages, small islands and small townships, and for special uses.
  • Coordinated and facilitated TaTEDO to train 26 artisans in production of improved stoves in Kilimanjaro region. This has built capacity for the production of improved cookstoves in that area.
  • COSTECH facilitated the popularization of smokeless stove that has solved the problem of excessive heat and smoke developed by experts from Prospective College of Engineering and Technology of Dar es Salaam University at the Feri Integrated Fish Market. COSTECH donated one stove, which has enticed the Management of the Market to order 47 stoves for the whole market.
  • COSTECH is coordinating and facilitating the development of technology to manufacture coal – biomass briquettes from Kiwira coal dust, and has designed and developed a prototype of the briquette pellets coal-stove known as KUUTE coal-stove.
  • Supported CAMARTEC in the manufacturing and demonstration of solar parabolic and solar box cookers.
  • In order to popularize wind energy technologies the COSTECH prepared a TV programme that raised a lot of interest and enquires for the technology after being aired in a television.
  • In collaboration with other stakeholders including the Ministry of Energy and Minerals, COSTECH has participated and provided funds for carrying out a study of the status of wind energy technologies in Tanzania. A survey of wind energy has been covered in ten (10) regions including Singida, Dodoma, Tabora, Mara, Shinyanga, Tanga, Kilimanjaro, Arusha, Mtwara and Lindi. The finding revealed that most of the wind driven water pumps were out of order but repairable at a cost.
  • COSTECH facilitated a repair of one water pump in Ngunga Village-Dodoma region to demonstrate the possibility of repairing such wind machines and encultate the culture of maintenance.
  • COSTECH in partnership with Tanzania Traditional Energy Development Organization (TaTEDO) and the Institute of Social Work (NISW) has won a bid to establish SADC Sub-regional Centre for Sustainable Rural Energy Programme (SCRED) under the SADC Land Degradation and Desertification Control Programme. A programme has been prepared which will be used to mobilize resources from both internal and external development partners.

Rural Technology Development Program


The majority of Tanzanian population lives in rural areas doing mainly agricultural activities. However, the level of technology is very low indeed. The majority of peasant farmers carry out their work under arduous conditions and extreme hardship. For example, the common means of tilling the land is still the hand hoe, which is crude and demands considerable human effort. The available means of transporting farm produce to storage and processing places are still the heads and backs of the poor farmers. Worst still, grain storage, food drying, processing and preserving technologies are inefficient leading to considerable post harvest food losses. To a large extent some of the drudgery of life among the rural population could be minimized through the provision of appropriate and affordable technologies.

Specifically, this programme aims at:

  • Supporting efforts for the development and improvement of affordable technologies for the rural areas;
  • Introducing efficient transportation and distribution of agricultural produce and facilitation of people mobility in the rural areas;
  • Promoting and encouraging the populace to use alternative means of tilling the land e.g. Oxen ploughs and other affordable mechanized systems;
  • Taking inventory of known rural technologies, creating and maintaining a database thereof;
  • Strengthening and upgrading the work of rural artisans in terms of efficiency, productivity and effectiveness.
  • Fostering regional and international cooperation in rural technology development.
  • Some results are registered in the agriculture livestock and construction sector.


COSTECH has over the years facilitated the following:

  • Conducting research in new cotton plant varieties potential in all areas where cotton is being cultivated. The new cotton variety is UK 82
  • Breeding of new beans variety that are TGX 1447 and Ex-Laela.
  • Availed the Tanzania Automotive Technology Centre (TATC) with financial assistance to rectify some technical problems of the developed hand-driven powered plough.
  • Dissemination of interlocking soil-cement bricks technology in Kinondoni district in collaboration with the National Housing Building Research Agency (NHBRA).