In a significant stride towards sustainable energy solutions, 44 clean cooking energy enterprises have earned grant funding from the CookFund program, a venture funded by the European Union (EU) and managed by the UN Capital Development Fund (UNCDF). The grants, totaling 9.4 billion Tanzanian Shillings, mark the successful conclusion of the program’s second call for proposals phase.
The selected enterprises, operating in urban areas including Dar es Salaam, Morogoro, Dodoma, Mwanza, and the Coast Region, are poised to make a substantial impact by increasing the adoption of clean cooking technologies among end-users. The solutions encompass bioethanol, electric pressure cookers, liquefied petroleum gas, and improved charcoal stoves, aligning with the Tanzanian government’s ambitious target of achieving 80% household adoption of clean cooking energy by 2033.
Deputy Minister for Energy, Judith Kapinga, expressed the government’s appreciation for initiatives like CookFund, emphasizing their potential to alleviate dependence on traditional cooking energy sources. The EU representative, Mr. Merel, highlighted the project’s visible contribution to private sector investments in the clean cooking sector, addressing the urgent need for sustainable solutions amid global urbanization.
The new grantees, joining the initial 16 recipients, contribute to a total of 60 grants disbursed under CookFund. As the Fund Manager and primary program implementer, UNCDF continues to offer support to grant recipients, ensuring effective fund utilization, promoting technical capacity building, and monitoring program operations for accountability.
Imanuel Muro, CookFund Programme Manager, emphasized the program’s role in empowering enterprises and driving a strategic shift in Tanzania’s energy landscape. By fostering a diversified energy mix, CookFund aims to replace harmful cooking practices, ensuring a more sustainable and resilient energy future for the nation.
Despite the evident need for cleaner alternatives, access to clean fuels and technologies for cooking remains limited, with only 17.1% of the urban population and 2% of the rural population utilizing such solutions, according to the Tanzania Mainland Household Budget Survey (2017/18).
The CookFund stands as a crucial initiative to address these challenges, intending to increase the adoption of sustainable clean cooking energy solutions in urban areas. Through financial and technical assistance, the program accelerates the market rollout of clean cooking solutions, contributing to improved social, economic, and environmental conditions in Tanzania.