Deputy Minister for Energy, Judith Kapinga (3rd Right), hands over a dummy cheque worth TZS 124 million to Duka la Mama company. The company is among the grantees of the TZS 9 billion in grants awarded to 44 enterprises engaged in the CookFund programme to boost the uptake of clean cooking technologies. Second left is UNCDF Program Manager, Immanuel Muro, EU Head of Delegation, Cedric Merel (2nd Left), and Styden Rwebangila, Assistant Commissioner for Electricity Development from the Ministry of Energy (Left).*********************
Forty-four (44) clean cooking energy enterprises have been selected for the award of grant funding from the CookFund programme which is funded by European Union (EU) and managed by UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF).
The award totaling 9.4 billion Tanzania shillings completes the second call for proposals phase from eligible businesses operating in five urban areas of Dar es Salaam, Morogoro, Dodoma, Mwanza and Pwani to substantially increase the uptake of clean cooking technologies by the end user. Supported solutions include bioethanol, electric pressure cookers, liquified petroleum gas and improved charcoal stoves, effectively supporting the government of Tanzania target of reaching 80% of households in Tanzania adopt and transition to clean cooking energy by 2033.
To mark the achievement, the partners including the Ministry of Energy, EU and UNCDF hosted an Awards Ceremony. In her remarks, the guest of honor, Deputy Minister of Energy Hon. Judith Kapinga said, ‘The government values programmes like the CookFund and hopes that it will help to alleviate the current dependence on traditional cooking energy. The support to the private sector and entrepreneurship in the clean cooking space through financial grants provided by the program is meant to incentivize the private sector in the promotion of clean cooking solutions and help us in familiarization with this approach so that even after the program ends, we shall carry on using other resources and stakeholders until the market is fully established, said Deputy Minister Kapinga.’
Speaking on behalf of the European Union, Mr. Merel said, ‘This project is giving a visible contribution to the development of private sector investments in the sector of clean cooking and responds to the rapid urbanisation, in Tanzania as well as globally, where solutions for clean cooking are urgently needed’.
The new grantees join the initial 16 recipients, totaling 60 grants disbursed under CookFund. As the Fund Manager and primary program implementer, UNCDF offers ongoing support to grant recipients, ensuring effective fund utilization, promoting technical capacity building, and monitoring program operations for accountability.
Mr. Imanuel Muro, CookFund Programme Manager said, ‘With the presentation of the second round of grants, we are advancing a mechanism that empowers enterprises and promote a strategic shift in Tanzania's energy landscape. The CookFund fosters a diversified energy mix, channeling resources towards clean cooking technologies that replace harmful cooking practices and ensure a more sustainable and resilient energy future for our nation.’
Based on the Tanzania Mainland Household Budget Survey (2017/18), access to clean fuels and technologies for cooking is only 17.1% of urban population and 2% of rural population. The increase in demand for wood-fuel is driven by rapid urbanization, high prices, and the limited availability of alternative fuels. To overcome these challenges, the CookFund’s intention is to increase the share of population using sustainable clean cooking energy solutions in urban areas.
The CookFund provides financial and technical assistance to eligible enterprises and companies to accelerate market roll-out of clean cooking solutions (stoves and fuels) leading to improved social, economic, and environmental conditions. It finances capital expenditures and/or working capital for building the internal capacity of businesses involved in the production, importation, distribution, wholesale or retail of stoves, fuels, or related products and services.