Total unveils clean energy plan in Tanzania

Dar es Salaam. As TotalEnergies moves to become one of the world’s top five organisations in renewables in the next nine years, the company yesterday revealed its plan to invest in wind and solar energy in Tanzania. The French energy giant is already in talks with the government through the Energy ministry to identify priority areas for them to invest in.
This was disclosed on Wednesday by the TotalEnergies Marketing-Tanzania managing director, Jean-Francois Schoepp, when unveiling the firm’s new lubricant, which is said to be “more ergonomic. “We want to give our company a fresh start, by offering our customers all possible energies, with a focus on renewable energy,” Mr Schoepp said.
“Our pledge is to continue innovating, improving and increasing our range to satisfy our customers.”
Explaining the plan, the company’s legal and corporate affairs director, Ms Getrude Mpangile, said they already had enough money to start investment any time and at any capacity.
“We have been in talks with the government for a month now, and are waiting for the government’s nod before we start a feasibility study,” noted Ms Mpangile.
The permanent secretary in the ministry of Energy, Mr Leonard Masanja, said the government has huge interests in having big wind and solar energy projects.
“TotalEnergies is not alone in the list of those who have shown interest to invest in wind and solar energy,” said Mr Masanja while promising to give them the much-needed support.
If this will work, it suggests that Tanzania will have a widely available, affordable and sustainable electricity and thus address the energy challenge emanated to reliance on hydropower which has been reportedly to be hit by climate change.
Industry and Trade deputy minister Exaud Kigahe, who was the chief guest at the launch event said the range of new packages of TotalEnergies’ lubricants is truly a vision of innovation that reflects TotalEnergies commitment to offer high quality products and services.
“It is commendable that you have unveiled advanced lubricants, with a QR code as a security against counterfeit products; descriptive icons of the product which enables the user to identify the right product for their equipment,” said Mr Kigahe.
TotalEnergies said their move to extend investments in Tanzania was triggered by an enabling business environment that jacked up investor confidence.
Schoepp said their move on renewable energies was triggered by the fact that the world’s energy future is being shaped by the dual challenges of climate change and rising energy demand.
“Our ambition to get to net-zero emissions for all our businesses by 2050, together with society, means taking these realities into account by investing heavily in renewables,” he said.
Globally, the company is focusing its efforts on the fast-growing solar, onshoreand offshore wind segments, leveraging the many advantages that these abundant, clean, flexible, efficient and competitive sources of energy have to offer.
“When the world is facing the challenge of more energy and less carbon emission, it is our responsibility to work with our customers and develop low carbon emission energy solutions,” hinted Mr Schoepp.
This is why, in addition to these design developments that were unveiled yesterday, the lubricants division contributes to the company’s ambition to offer cleaner energy.
In particular, a reduction in the weight of cans will prevent the emission of 9,500 tons of Co2 each year.
TotalEnergies has invested over $2 million (about Sh4.6 billion) in the Dar-es Salaam based lubricant and oil blending plant with an annual capacity of 20,000 tonnes.