Seizing energy efficiency policy opportunities to improve water and sanitation services in Tanzania

Panel: 2. Policy: governance, design, implementation and evaluation challenges

This is a peer-reviewed paper.

Authors:
Sven Ernedal, Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency (4E) Project / EU – Viet Nam Energy Facility, Vietnam
Jesper Vauvert, GIZ Sustainable Energy Programme, Tanzania
Nathan Moore, GIZ Sustainable Energy Programme, Tanzania
Leonard Pesambili, GIZ Sustainable Energy Programme, Tanzania

Abstract

Tanzania’s Ministry of Energy and Minerals (MEM) and GIZ agreed to develop a National Energy Efficiency Action Plan (NEEAP), which will be available by June 2017 and will include four fundamental kinds of action: Quantifiable actions; Legal, Regulatory and Administrative actions; Capacity Building actions; and Awareness actions. One anticipated cornerstone of the NEEAP will be requirements for large energy consumers to prepare, implement and report on Facility Energy Efficiency Action Plans (FEEAP) through an Energy Manager assisted by Certified Energy Auditors. Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Authorities (WSSA) are among the largest energy consumers in Tanzania, and many are challenged with high energy intensity and costs that limit their ability to provide water and sanitation services. To exemplify these NEEAP actions, this paper presents initiatives by GIZ, MEM, the Ministry of Water and Irrigation (MOWI), and the multi-sector Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority to promote energy efficiency in the water sector. Energy audits carried out at two WSSAs in 2016 revealed significant energy-saving investment opportunities and a need to establish both an Energy Management (EM) unit and a FEEAP. To help build capacity necessary to operationalize EE in the utilities, GIZ trained and assisted the two WSSAs in setting up EM Teams and FEEAPs. The experiences from these pilot trainings have been used to raise awareness on the benefits of EM with other WSSAs in Tanzania. The audits also revealed a number of design flaws common among WSSAs, and as a result MoWI requested GIZ assistance to prepare Energy Guidelines. These guidelines will ensure that important EE aspects are considered in initial design and procurement processes. This paper explores the design and impact of these initiatives, and their potential for further implementation in Tanzania and similarly situated sectors.