Norway and TaTEDO-SESO Seal NOK 30 Million Deal to Power Tanzania's Clean Cooking and Green Energy Transition

Tanzania's clean energy transition received a major boost today as the Royal Norwegian Embassy and TaTEDO – Sustainable Energy Services Organization (TaTEDO-SESO) signed a grant agreement worth NOK 30 million (approximately TZS 8 billion) to implement a three-year programme accelerating the country's shift to clean cooking and green energy.

The agreement was signed at the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Dar es Salaam by H.E. Tone Tinnes, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway to Tanzania, and Eng. Estomih N. Sawe, Chief Executive Officer of TaTEDO-SESO, in the presence of senior officials from both institutions and members of the media. Running from August 2026 to July 2029, the programme ranks among the largest recent civil-society-led investments in Tanzania's clean energy sector, and reaffirms the enduring partnership between Norway and Tanzania on sustainable development, climate resilience and inclusive economic growth.

Speaking at the signing, Ambassador Tinnes described the agreement as an important milestone in the long-standing cooperation between Norway and Tanzania, arriving at a pivotal moment for the country's energy ambitions. The programme directly supports Tanzania's Mission 300 Energy Compact and its National Clean Cooking Strategy (2024–2034), which target clean cooking access for 80 percent of Tanzanians by 2034 alongside expanded access to renewable energy.

Achieving that goal, the Ambassador noted, will require sustained collaboration among government institutions, civil society organizations, development partners and the private sector — the same coalition this programme is designed to strengthen. Its core interventions are to accelerate the adoption of clean cooking and renewable energy technologies, deepen private sector participation in the green economy, support improvements to the policy and regulatory environment, and build robust systems for monitoring greenhouse gas emission reductions.

Ambassador Tinnes also congratulated TaTEDO-SESO for submitting the strongest proposal under the Embassy's competitive Call for Proposals, calling it a reflection of Norway's confidence in the organization's institutional capacity and its more than 35-year track record in Tanzania's energy sector.

Over its three-year implementation period, the programme is projected to:

•      Reach approximately 30,000 households with modern clean energy solutions

•      Support around 250 institutions and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)

•      Create approximately 2,500 green jobs, with at least 40 percent benefiting women

•      Reduce between 60,000 and 90,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO₂e) emissions

•      Strengthen Tanzania's clean energy market in line with national and global climate commitments

For TaTEDO-SESO's Chief Executive Officer, Eng. Estomih N. Sawe, the ceremony carried weight beyond the formalities of signing. “Today's signing symbolizes a shared vision, a trusted partnership, and our collective commitment to improving the lives of Tanzanians through sustainable energy,” he said, extending his profound appreciation to the Government and people of Norway for their continued trust.

Eng. Sawe noted that the timing is deliberate: the programme begins as Tanzania accelerates implementation of both the Mission 300 Energy Compact and the National Clean Cooking Strategy (2024-2034). TaTEDO-SESO's role, he explained, will be to strengthen clean cooking markets, expand renewable energy technologies, stimulate private sector investment and widen access to affordable modern energy services, while reducing dependence on biomass fuels and opening green employment opportunities, particularly for women and youth.

He committed the organization to implementing the programme “with the highest standards of professionalism, accountability, transparency, integrity and measurable impact,” pledging close collaboration with government institutions, the private sector, civil society organizations, research institutions, financial institutions and local communities to ensure that every Norwegian Kroner entrusted to TaTEDO-SESO delivers lasting development results.

Beyond expanding access to clean cooking technologies, the programme is designed to drive policy reform, strengthen market systems, improve emissions monitoring and mobilize private sector investment, outcomes that reach as far as public health, forest cover and economic opportunity. Reduced reliance on biomass fuels lowers greenhouse gas emissions and eases pressure on Tanzania's forests, while new green enterprises create income opportunities in the communities that need them most.

As implementation begins in August 2026, both the Royal Norwegian Embassy and TaTEDO-SESO expressed confidence that the programme will become a model for collaborative action on clean cooking, renewable energy adoption and inclusive green growth in Tanzania.

The agreement reinforces a partnership between Norway and Tanzania built over decades of cooperation, evidence, as both sides affirmed, of what international cooperation, national leadership and local expertise can achieve together for present and future generations.