Project "Wind power for Tanzania" – questions and answers
The project Wind Power for Tanzania is the first project that Sandvik is engaged in through Engineers Without Borders. Project manager Christina Merkai, who is also a Master's student at KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm, Sweden, explains the goals and focus of the project and tells about the expectations of the project members.
What are the project goals?
Christina Merkai, Engineers Without Borders' project manager for the "Wind Power for Tanzania" project. In the short term, the project aims to provide a school in an off-grid rural area in Tanzania with electricity. However, the importance of the project lies on the long-term goals to complement the electricity supply to various types of community buildings, which are essential for the future development of the area. After the successful implementation of the project, the students will also have a significantly increased feeling of safety and security, which in combination with the ability of studying longer hours, will increase the educational level of the area.
What is your current project focus?
Our current focus is on a close cooperation with students from the University of Dar Es Salaam, who will participate during the building and implementation phase of the project in Tanzania. For their successful engagement in the project, we are working on a communication plan, which will bring both teams to the same level before the field trip.
And your next steps?
We have already started our workshops in the lab, to build a small-scale prototype of a wind power turbine. After we bought the first raw material, we started with designing and building the wooden blades. Since we have covered the financial needs of the project, our next steps will be mainly devoted on the technical aspects, meaning the workshops and identification of technical issues that may occur and how we could solve them.
What do you hope to accomplish during the awaiting field period in Tanzania?
We are looking forward to the trip to Tanzania, to meeting the students from the University at Dar Es Salaam and cooperating with them. We would like to exchange knowledge with them in the renewable energy field and of course, share knowledge with the local community. This way, we will be able to motivate their participation in similar projects and stimulate awareness in the field of renewable resources as well as pave the way for a sustainable future in developing countries like Tanzania
Read more about Sandvik's collaboration with Engineers Without Borders