**2.1 Hydropower**

42 Renewable Energy – Trends and Applications

Renewable is a term used for forms of energy which are not exhaustible by use over time. It means that the renewable sources can be regenerated or renewed in a relatively short time. This section focuses on leading renewable energy sources in Tanzania. The leading sources are a result of the assessment conducted in the country. The following are leading renewable sources: biomass, solar, hydropower, wind, solar and geothermal. However, hydropower as one of the leading renewable energy sources in the country is not discussed in this chapter. In general, the sources of renewable energy can be divided, according to their origin, into natural renewable sources i.e. wind, solar, geothermal etc., and renewable sources resulting from human activity which include: biomass including landfill gas and industrial heat

The energy balance of the country shows that biomass use accounts for 88 percent of energy consumption in particular in the rural area [Magesa, 2007]. The majority of the rural population relies on biomass as fuel for cooking. Biomass is followed by Petroleum (7 percent), gas (2 percent) etc. Summary of the primary sources in the country is given in

Petroleum exploration efforts have been made in the past and are still going on but so far no oil has been found. Therefore, the country relies exclusively on imports of its oil whereby the transport sector consumes more than 40 percent of all petroleum imported. At present, only 70 percent of the demand for petroleum fuel is met. The increase in importation of petroleum products and continuous rise in oil price is heavy burden for the country. With the introduction of right policy, regulation and incentives, the country has a potential of substituting a large percentage of the imported fuel with Biofuel that could be produced

Renewable energy can effectively solve the problem of global warming and climate change being experienced in the country; in addition, renewable energy technologies can create jobs to young graduate and hence reduce poverty. Promotion of renewable energy technologies has not progressed easily in the country due to economic inefficiency when competing with traditional energies of oil and natural gas. There are two premises from which to promote renewable energy technologies on a large scale use. First, is diversification of the risk to the environment and social-economic activities; secondly, to increase stable energy supply and enhance energy security of the country. Use of renewable energy technologies in the country will have a positive impact on social-economic development of the country in the future. This chapter focuses on assessment of renewable energy technologies as an alternative approach in electrifying rural Tanzania. In rural Tanzania, there is still an excessive demand and dependence upon traditional energy use. Developing appropriate technologies, efficient

**Source of Energy Composition in percentage[%]** 

Petroleum 7 Electricity 1.4 Renewable (Solar, Wind, etc) 1.3 Biomass 88 Others (e.g. Coal) 0.3 Gas 2 **Total 100** 

Table 1. Primary Energy Sources (April 2011)

recovery.

Table 1.

within the country.

Hydropower currently contributes more than 50 % of electricity generated in the country. Given that supply is not meeting demand; deliberate efforts are needed to be taken to look for other sources. Large areas of the country are supplied with power from hydro stations which include Hale, Kidatu, Kihansi, New pangani Falls, Mtera and Nyumba ya Mungu. Large reservoirs are located at Mtera, Kidatu and Nyumba ya Mungu with storage Capacity of about 4,200 Million cubic metres [Casmiri, 2009] while Hale, Pangani fall and Kihansi have three head ponds with a total capacity of 2.26 Million cubic metres. Electricity generated from hydropower is given in Table 2. The re-filing of the above mentioned reservoirs depends on the availability of sufficient rainfall from various basin including Rufiji, Ihefu and Pangani basins. Therefore, the contribution of hydropower to the energy mix of the country varies according to climatic conditions.


Table 2. Electricity Generated from Hydro Source (Source TANESCO, 2009)

Future hydropower projects under plan are given in Table 3

Hydropower resources currently contribute more than 50% of electricity generated in the country. It is a leading renewable energy resource. However, electricity generated from hydropower highly depends on weather conditions. Due to climate change being experienced in the country, it has been observed that the pattern of rain in the catchment area is not consistent; hence the level of water in all the dams used to generate electricity is falling. This trend has affected distribution of electricity in the country. TANESCO, the Government owned utility company responsible for transmission and distribution of electricity has resorted to introducing load shedding.

Hydropower is a leading renewable energy resource in the country but it cannot guarantee sustainable supply of electricity. Other resources are needed to supplement energy during drought. Renewable resources such as biomass, wind, solar, geothermal, etc., must be exploited as supplement to hydropower resources.
