Tanga. Tanga Regional Commissioner Martin Shigela has
hailed Tanzania’s power utility company, Tanesco, for its decision to invest in
concrete pole production saying that it will go a long way towards saving
forests.
Opening the 47th Tanesco Workers Council, the RC said it
was obvious now that people’s speed of planting trees did not correspond to
that of tree felling.
“This is a very good decision,” Mr Shigela said, advising
Tanesco Management to negotiate with an investor who is planning to invest in
the production of cement in Tanga and making of concrete electric poles whose
demand he said was growing due to dwindling forest products.
He said that Tanesco should also look for partners to
establish such plants to produce equipment that is being used in electric
production, transmission and distribution.
Mr Shigela pointed out that industrialization would
increase the demand for more electricity and equipment and materials including
electric cables. “Investing in production of electric equipment is a decision
which is in line with what President Magufuli was advocating,” he said.
Speaking on power production in general, Shigela said
Tanesco carried the burden of hopes of the industrialization process because
without enough power it was impossible to reach expected industrialisation
goals.
“Your role in the current industrialization drive is
critical. You must increase productivity and efficiency to enable the fifth
phase government to realize its goal,” he told Tanesco workers.
Mr Shigela expressed satisfaction that the power utility
was planning to construct a high grid power transmission line from Chalinze to
Tanga and Arusha which he said would solve power shortages in Tanga which was
envisaged to grow further due increased investment in industries and the Hoima
– Tanga crude oil pipeline.
He said, for instance, that a cement company that would
produce 7 million metric tonnes of cement is scheduled for construction in
Tanga.
He pointed out that such a massive production which was
almost 90 per cent of the current total cement production by all cement plants
in the country and therefore electricity would be in high demand. Power would
also be needed for heating processes required in the East African Crude Oil Pipeline.
The acting director general of the power utility company,
Dr Tito Mwinuka, said that the firm has lined up strategies aimed at supporting
President Magufuli’s industrialisation drive.
He assured Tanga residents of increased power due to the
Chalinze – Tanga – Arusha Transmission line project that is scheduled to start
soon.
According to the Tanesco Workers’ Council Secretary Asma
Milale the meeting would discuss three agenda which are Tanesco performance for
the 2016/17 financial year apart from discussing the company’s three-year
Strategic Plan and the company’s financial report.
Source: The Citizen
Aminexias' view: Concrete poles come from power hungry Cement factories, so while being good to the environment in respect of trees, it will be creating a larger need for gas to power. This will ultimately be good for the Tanzania and Aminex as a supplier. Of course there are other environmental issues but personally, deforestation is not something I support and therefore I see this as a better option all around.