ABU DHABI, UAE
It has been stated that Tanzania continues to undertake various efforts to ensure that citizens have access to clean, safe, and affordable cooking energy, by securing financing for clean cooking energy projects from the Government, the private sector, stakeholders, and international organizations supporting global initiatives for the use of clean cooking energy.
Speaking during a side event of the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA) meeting, which focused on the issue of financing for clean cooking energy projects, held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Engineer Anita Ringia from the Ministry of Energy said that Tanzania has continued to allocate and mobilize funds for the implementation of the Clean Cooking Energy Agenda, and that results are now evident through increased access to clean cooking energy.
She stated that access to clean cooking energy has increased from 6.9 percent in 2021 to 23.2 percent in 2025, representing more than a threefold increase within only four years.
She attributed these achievements to the strong leadership of the Government under the President of the United Republic of Tanzania, H.E. Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, who has made clean cooking energy a national priority and a key pillar of the National Development Vision 2050.
In another development, Ringia noted that in the 2025/26 financial year, Tanzania is implementing various initiatives including the distribution of 200,000 improved cookstoves under subsidy, financing 480 electric cookers through electricity bills in collaboration with TANESCO under a pilot project, and distributing more than 450,000 LPG gas cylinders at subsidized prices.
She added that the Government has also banned the use of firewood and charcoal in institutions serving more than 100 people per day, a measure aimed at promoting clean energy use across more than 31,000 public institutions, an investment requiring more than USD 1 billion, alongside strengthening public awareness campaigns and supporting small and medium-sized enterprises in the sector.
Engineer Ringia further explained that these achievements have also been supported by Tanzania’s private sector, through increased investment by domestic financial institutions including NMB Bank and CRDB Bank, which have begun providing low-interest loans to clean cooking energy entrepreneurs to expand distribution networks nationwide.
During the meeting, Engineer Ringia also announced various investment opportunities, including the development of infrastructure for receiving, storage, and distribution of clean cooking energy, establishment of local factories to manufacture cookstoves, equipment, and cylinders, as well as innovative opportunities to enable citizens to pay for energy through Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) systems, low-interest financing, and payment through electricity bills.
Speaking on the role of the international community in mobilizing financing for the Clean Cooking Energy Agenda, Engineer Anita stated that Tanzania supports calls to strengthen cooperation among governments, the private sector, financial institutions, and development partners to bridge the clean cooking energy financing gap, especially in Africa where nearly one billion people still lack access to these services.
Other experts, led by the Assistant Commissioner for Renewable Energy, Imani Mruma, participated in earlier sessions focusing on legislative development, regulation, planning, and investment for renewable energy projects.
In these sessions, Tanzania highlighted efforts being taken to ensure that renewable energy makes a sufficient contribution to the national grid in line with global sustainable development progress, particularly Sustainable Development Goal 7 (SDG 7).
Regarding renewable energy, Tanzania noted that it continues to make progress, with renewable energy contributing 68 percent of the electricity fed into the national grid, while additional efforts are ongoing, including the construction of the Kishapu Solar Power Project (150 MW), which is expected to begin generating 50 MW by February this year.
Other renewable energy sources under development include geothermal projects in Lake Ngozi (70 MW), Songwe (5 MW), Kiejombaka (60 MW), Natron (60 MW), and Luhoi (5 MW).
Opening the IRENA meeting on its first day, IRENA Deputy Director-General Gaun Singh urged all member countries to continue investing in renewable energy projects, noting that the global target is to reach 11,000 GW of renewable energy-based electricity generation by 2030.
The IRENA 2026 meeting is guided by the theme: “Powering Humanity: Renewable Energy for Shared Prosperity.”
