|
Reliance on sole power source catastrophic
2006-02-21 08:49:45
By LUDGER KASUMUNI
The current power crisis hitting Tanzania can be resolved with the introduction of large-scale farming of plants known as Jetropha for producing bio-diesel to run thermal power stations. Professor Aggrey Nzali of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Systems of the new College of Engineering and Technology at the University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM), explains the usage of plants in power generation as he talked to Staff Writer .
QUESTION: Tanzania has been facing periodical power shortages as a result of over reliance on hydropower. What do you think are the cost-effective means of resolving this problem?
ANSWER: The only means of resolving power shortages is diversifying sources of energy. Now the question is what are the sources of energy? There are various sources. Firstly, we have coal, why can’t we exploit it? Secondly, we have a lot of micro-hydro-power potentials, but we do not utilize them to the full capacity. Why don’t we use the alternative sources of energy like solar and wind energy which are in huge potentials? The technologies of using those alternative sources of energies are well known, the problem lies with funding. There is also an opportunity of using bio-diesel. Why can’t we use bio-diesel? The Jetropha plants can be cultivated in every region of Tanzania to produce bio-diesel that can be used to run thermal power stations.
Jetropha plants are now famous in Germany and Japan to produce bio-diesel. In India there a big project going on for encouraging farmers to grow Jetropha plants on large scale basis to produce bio-diesel. Unfortunately there is no country in Africa embarking in this kind of project.
Q: Does the College of Engineering and Technology possess the technology of producing bio-diesel from Jetropha?
A: Yes we have the technology for extracting bio-diesel. In fact in our college there is an expert who can co-ordinate this kind of project.
Q: What is his name?
A: His name is Kibazohi. He owns a vehicle which has been using bio-diesel. He has managed to collect some bio-diesel plants to process bio-diesel for his vehicle.
Q: The government has been arguing that the project for installing thermal power for using Mchuchuma coal reserves has failed to take off due to lack of enough funds. What is your view on that?
A: Yes, big thermal power projects are very expensive. You need to have heavy capital investment. You need to mobilise funds to implement power projects like that of Mchuchuma coal reserves. But it is possible to implement this kind of project into phases, like what was done during the construction of Kidatu Hydro-power station and Mtera dam. Since installations of big power stations are expensive, there is a need to have a sound programme of mobilizing funds. But it is also important to note that thermal power produced from coal is more reliable than hydropower. While thermal power produced from coal has long-term investment guarantee, the hydropower is unreliable in the long run because it depends on weather conditions.
Q: Professor Nzali, Tanzania has minerals for production of nuclear power like Uranium as what is being in South Africa, which has been generating electricity from nuclear power. Why are we not talking about the possibility of using nuclear power?
A: Many people are scared when you are talking about nuclear energy. When you are talking about the option of using nuclear energy, people are worried about the destructive nature of nuclear bombs and accidents arising from mismanaged nuclear plants, like what happened in Russia. But their worries are unfounded. In Tanzania we can embark in this project provided that we build capacity to manage a nuclear plant. After all the amount of energy needed to operate nuclear power station is smaller than the one needed to make nuclear bomb. But we must get prepared to train skilled human resources to run the nuclear power station. Since we don’t have experts in this field, we must start training experts. It is important that in order to carry out this kind of project the country must have at least 70 percent of local experts in the field of nuclear energy.
Q: The government has put in place a policy and legal framework for the operation of Rural Electrification Agency (REA) and Rural Electrification Fund (REF). Have you been involved in the preparatory work?
A: We have been involved only at the launching stage.
Q: Has your faculty or department been involved in research activities in exploring environmentally friendly rural energies?
A: Yes, we have been involved. For example, we do a lot of researches in wind energies. I was recently heading a team which was commissioned by COSTECH to look at the state of wind energy in Tanzania. We went throughout the country looking at the state of wind energy. The report was submitted and basically we have found that we are using wind energy for pumping water only. But the potentials for using wind energy to produce electricity are huge. We have also done a lot of researches in exploring the use of solar energy systems for production of electricity.
Q: But many people have been complaining that solar energy is also expensive. What are your comments?
A: Yes, solar energy is expensive. It is expensive because you have to pay for everything at once. But strictly speaking it is not expensive. With the government support for creation of loan schemes it becomes cheaper. The government should mobilize investors to provide loans to people who want to use solar energy. Thanks to the government decision to waive taxes on equipment for installation of solar power. That electricity agency should embark on loan scheme for consumers who want to use solar power.
Q: Has the University of Dar es Salaam produced any electric equipment or machine which has been adapted by local consumers?
A: Yes, we have produced several equipment. I know one village in Masasi district which is using solar power equipment designed by the UDSM researchers. But the caution with solar generators is that it is not recommended for cooking and ironing. It is useful for lighting, driving transmitters, TV and radios.
Q: Do you agree with the argument being raised by TANESCO that their power tariffs is the cheapest in East Africa?
A: I know what they mean, but I don’t agree. I know that the component they using to set price is the cost of producing electricity. But for TANESCO the cost components are several. Apart from the cost of producing hydropower, TANESCO has contract with SONGAS, which adds cost. Secondly, there is a binding contract between TANESCO and IPTL, causing added cost. Again there is again the management contract with the Net Group Solutions. If you include all these components of cost, you will find that TANESCO electricity is not the cheapest as they claim.
Q: Do you think that the current power distribution system that heavily relies on the National Power Grid is economically viable to investors and consumers?
A: No, it is not economically viable. First of all the quality is poor. Secondly, the reliability is very small. If you consider the two factors definitely investors will be discouraged.
Q: Now what should be done?
A: First, it must be noted that there is the same problem of over relying on hydropower. The quality is affected by over reliance on hydropower. But it is important to know that the quality has got parameters like the utility company itself. How good they are at maintaining their power generation system? The energy produced should be proportional to revenue collected. In this regard there is a contract ending up with eating revenue. TANESCO system suffers from unjustifiable contracts.
Q: Do you have other issues to comment apart from these?
A; I advise the government to use local experts during the implementation of the activities of Rural Electrification Agency and Rural Electrification Fund. The new College of Engineering and Technology is one of those institutions capable of providing consultancy for running these new institutions.
|
