The centerpiece of the project will be the construction of the largest solar farm ever built on a college campus anywhere in the world, totaling 55 MW of energy.
In its first phase, the project expected to provide solar power to the UDOM campus, including dormitories, lecture halls, research centres and the medical complex by next year, and six months later, to Central Dodoma.
To achieve this, UDOM has established a strategic partnership with the Ohio State University (OSU), one of the US largest research universities with an international reputation in food, water, energy, and health.
Speaking at the launch of the solar project and a new College of Renewable Energy and Sustainability at UDOM, Marty Kress, head of OSU’s Global Water Institute said the project upon completion will boost availability of electricity at the university and the region at large.
“The OSU is honored to partner with the UDOM to make the new School of Renewable Energy a reality. This transformational educational program will train the workforce of tomorrow, stimulate the growth of new firms and businesses, enable the transition of renewable energy systems to rural Tanzania, and open the door to collaborative research projects between both schools,” he said.
“The OSU is honored to partner with the UDOM to make the new School of Renewable Energy a reality. This transformational educational program will train the workforce of tomorrow, stimulate the growth of new firms and businesses, enable the transition of renewable energy systems to rural Tanzania, and open the door to collaborative research projects between both schools,” he said.
Construction of this utility-scale project is part of a UDOM strategy to establish itself as a global centre of excellence in renewable energy and sustainability, ensuring that Tanzania will have the trained workforce, research scientists, and entrepreneurs to lead the way on the African continent when it comes to the deployment of clean, local energy.
Kress said that that new College’s emphasis on renewable energy would have a substantial positive impact on delivery of clean water to rural parts of Tanzania.
“Solar-powered water pumps can provide clean water and improve health and sanitation for millions of Tanzanian,” said Kress.
The Ohio State University has committed to retrofit 125 village water well systems in partnership with UDOM.
Theflagship 55 MW solar project represents a joint venture of UDOM and Hecate Energy, one of the USA’s leading developers of large scale renewable energy projects.
Hecate Energy was one of the first private sector partners of President Obama’s “Power Africa” initiative, which was launched, to help double the number of people with access to electricity in six subSaharan countries, including Tanzania.
Both globally and in the America energy marketplace, Hecate Energy has earned a strong reputation for low-cost delivery of renewable energy with projects that produce high social impact.
Nick Bullinger, Hecate Energy’s Chief Operating Officer, said, “We are proud to be on UDOM’s team.
Speaking at the same event UDOM Vice Chancellor, Prof Idris Kikula said the power project will help reduce the cost of power as the institution currently spend Sh 150 million on electricity alone.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
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