Partner Spotlight: Tanzania Traditional Energy Development Organization (TaTEDO)
TaTEDO’s Awareness raising and market development efforts for improved cook-stoves in Tanzania
Over the past 30 years, biomass energy has comprised around 90% of Tanzania’s national household, SME, institutional, and industry energy demands. High levels of consumption and low thermal efficiency technologies dominate production and use of biomass energy in the country. In 2012, the country’s wood deficit was 19.5 million m3. If adequate measures are not taken, the wood deficit is expected to increase to 47.2 million m3 by year 2030.
As part of our contribution to national cleaner energy access efforts, Tanzania Traditional Energy Development Organization (TaTEDO), in collaboration with different stakeholders, is supporting awareness raising, capacity building, and market development initiatives to scale up the adoption of improved cookstoves (ICS) in the country.
TaTEDO aims to collaborate with the Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves (Alliance) to use the power of communications to raise awareness on the benefits of cleaner cooking. These awareness raising activities include hosting workshops, exhibitions, and demonstrations, as well as producing and distributing mass media, leaflets, brochures, and t-shirts. TaTEDO also supports social media and website activations. TaTEDO’s awareness-raising messages aim to inform consumers about existing cleaner cooking solutions and their associated benefits.
TaTEDO has used various adaptive research approaches to further improve the efficiency of its cookstove products from 15 to 35 percent. We have also developed 12 stove prototypes and six types of ovens.
TaTEDO has also paired awareness raising with capacity building efforts for stove artisans. We trained rural stove artisans on construction and maintenance skills for improved firewood stoves, as well as urban artisans on producing improved charcoal stoves. To date, about 1,000 stove artisans have undergone TaTEDO training on ICS construction; as a result; a number of small stove entrepreneurs have emerged. These efforts to promote and create awareness have increased demand of ICS in Tanzania. The current supply of ICS in the commercial capital city of Dar es Salaam is estimated to be more than 10,000 per month. Some of these stoves have also reached markets in neighboring countries.
It is estimated that about 60 percent of households in Dar es Salaam City use improved charcoal stoves. This market penetration demonstrates great achievement for TaTEDO and other stakeholders in the sector. A majority of urban households who have adopted ICS have been motivated by cost savings of charcoal. In rural areas, a significant incentive for using improved cookstoves is the ability of the stove to take smoke outside the kitchen. Other motivating factors for ICS use among households include timesavings and forest conservation benefits.
TaTEDO’s efforts have been recognized by different partners at national and international levels. For example, we received several delegations who appreciate efforts on ICS and related services including the World Economic Forum, the European Union, and United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). TaTEDO’s facility recently hosted a visit on 8th August 2016 from the French Minister for Energy and Environment, Madame Segolene Royal, the Tanzania Minister for Environment, Hon. January Makamba, and more than 20 representatives from the media. The visit offered a unique opportunity for awareness raising and advocacy at higher levels on clean cooking solutions and ICS. During the event, the Tanzanian government was encouraged to support a better enabling environment for large scale ICS promotion and associated complementary fuels, such as charcoal briquettes, in order to significantly reduce deforestation in Tanzania.
We look forward to inspiring households to switch to cleaner and more efficient cooking practices and working with the Alliance to support its goal of enabling 100 million households to adopt clean cookstoves and fuels by 2020.
Learn more about our work at www.tatedo.org, and on our Facebook and Twitter pages.