Sh300bn wind power project gets nod of environment body

Dodoma. Wind power investor, Emerging Markets Power (EMP), was last week issued with an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) certificate, giving the much needed boost to the implementation of the Sh300 billion project.

The National Environmental Management Council (Nemc) issued the EIA for EMP’s wind farm project located in Nala Ward, Dodoma.

EMP country manager Zabron Mwaipopo told The Citizen yesterday that the EIA certificate was a major milestone for the proposed 100MW wind project.

Under Tanzania’s laws, a project must have a Social and Environmental Impact Assessment before commencing implementation.

“We are pleased that the government has awarded us with this certificate signed by the Minister of State in the Vice-President’s Office (Union and Environment), Mr January Makamba, on May 27, 2019,” said Mr Mwaipopo.

The EIA issuance means that the project will not harm or impair community activities or the environment, like farming, grazing, plants, animals, birds in areas surrounding project. Explaining on how they conducted their feasibility study on the environment impact surrounding the project, Mr Zabron says,

The company contracted COWI Tanzania to assess the project’s impacts on both the environment and social aspects of the community surrounding it.

The feasibility started in year 2017 and completed this year (2019).

“We thank the government of Tanzania for the support and guidance from the inception of the study, land processing, collecting wind data and on the environmental and social assessments,” he said.

Pending the final government endorsement, Request for Proposal (RFP) by Tanesco, the EMP in partnership with Vestas (a wind turbine manufacturer) is ready to construct and install state of the art wind farm.

It is expected that actual construction will take between nine to 12 months and the plant will have a capacity of generating 100 MW of electricity.

“This diverse energy production (renewable) only complements the government of Tanzania strategic plans in energy production increase and supports the industrialization spirit of the fifth government,” he said.

EMPL had shown interest to invest in Tanzania in renewable energy, wind farm in Dodoma since 2016 when they started negotiations with government organs to acquire relevant permits through Ministry of Energy and Minerals by then, Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment, TIC, Ministry of Land, Housing Human Settlements Development as well as the President’s Office (Regional Administration and Local Government).

In August last year, the government, through Tanesco, made a significant change of the plans requesting that all investors in renewable energy undergo a competitive bidding process, commonly known as Solicited Tendering and announced the Request for Qualification (RFQ) in October and December for pre-qualification process to all bidders before the final process announcement of Request for Proposal (RFP) expected this year.

“We are now waiting to hear from Tanesco for the next stage and the fact that we have the EIA certificate and being completed all the initial requirements, we are so eager to invest and specifically in Dodoma and committed to adhere to the laws, regulations, rules and policies of the land,” said Mr Mwaipopo.