Energy Conservation in the Industrial Sector in Tanzania

Abstract

The Energy Policy of Tanzania (MWEM, 1992) clearly specifies the important role energy plays in the development process: ‘Energy is a prerequisite for the proper functioning of nearly all subsectors of the economy. It is an essential service whose availability and quality can determine the success or failure of development endeavors’ (par. 2). ‘There cannot be sustainable development and the satisfaction of basic needs of society without sufficient and efficient supply and use of energy’ (par. 26). Since Tanzania does not (yet) have at its disposal many indigenous energy sources, the use of energy, however, is a heavy burden on the balance of payments and thus on the national economy as a whole. While the long-term strategy of the National Energy Policy is the reduction of dependence on external energy sources and the exploration and rational management and utilisation of the country’s own resources, the short- and medium-term strategies include, among others, more efficient use of energy in the transport and industry sector.