The status of wind energy development in Tanzania

Wind energy development in Tanzania started about 3 decades ago when some windmills were installed at several locations in the country to pump water for human and animal consumption and in a few cases for irrigation. There were some attempts to manufacture the windmills locally but these were never successful. In 1980 there were some attempts to generate electricity from wind but these also were unsuccessful. The analysed wind speed data revealed that the wind energy potential in Tanzania is fairly high. The analysis also showed that the windy season coincides with the dry season. The available wind energy at one prospective site called if harvested for the purpose of electricity generation could help to alleviate the shortage of hydroelectricity that prevails during the dry season. Wind energy experts are involved in analysing the available wind speed data and also measuring wind speed in small intervals of time at the sites that are believed to have high wind energy potential. It is also planned to draw a wind map for Tanzania.