Tanzania - Main airport solar installation

Description

The FCDO/DBT Growth Gateway programme is currently supporting a UK business based in Zanzibar, Tanzania. The business works with the Government of Zanzibar on different initiatives and would like to involve UK companies in providing solar installation for the main airport (AAKIA). It is currently dependent on the grid and suffers regular outages. During that process, the airport has suggested they propose a solar solution for the new airport to be constructed in Pemba.

This is a UKEF financed project highlighted by Minister Huddleston and David Concar which, together with a package for road construction in Zanzibar, aims to create £100 million of export opportunities for UK companies from £373 million of financing.

On the solar installation at the main airport, the UK facilitators have had engagement from Kenyan and Jordanian companies, but not yet managed to find UK companies to bid. They've tried 15 companies so far, for example, the British company that did the UK's largest commercial solar installation (6.5 MWp at the Port of Hull).

Areas that the programme have been asked to advise on, and would like to engage UK companies are:

• solar for main airport 2MWp, new airport 4MWp, water company 4MWp, steel factory 20MWp, and nighttime battery 200MWp for whole island
• funding for solar (5-10 years)
• tax policy and mobile enforcement technology: the government's largest source of income is tax, and the largest tax payers are hotels. They estimate they are missing a lot of undeclared tax revenues from the large hotels, and asked us to develop ways to incentivise the hotels to cooperate with them. The programme have made suggestions regarding accelerating implementation of local infrastructure works, tax policy, mobile wallet enforcement technology. The aim is to engage British companies who can implement such technology, and also speak to tax enforcement policy advisors for additional suggestions.
• Stone Town, the capital of Zanzibar is a UNESCO world heritage site. It scores consistently poorly for cleanliness. The programme have been asked to re-organise the municipal cleaning operations, and to find funding for 1000-2000 street bins (estimated to cost $1-2 million)
• the Sovereign Wealth Fund ($150 million) is poorly invested. The programme have been asked to make suggestions for changes to the investment portfolio and methodology. Investment has been recommended into overseas equity and bond markets indices, in line with large SWF guidelines. The programme would like to find a fund administration partner, and to allocate some small portions of the fund to be managed (on a charitable basis) on behalf of the Gov. By overseas asset managers and sovereign wealth funds. Although this is lower on the gov's priority list, we think if it eventually enables Tanzanian citizens to invest (for pensions, savings, schooling) into overseas financial markets, this could be the most transformative initiative of all.
• conference centre: the gov is looking for funding to build a hotel and conference centre, to grow Zanzibar as a business destination
• the government of Zanzibar has gas reserves. 5 years ago they granted exploration rights to a Middle Eastern company - this resulted in no development of the reserves, and has now expired. The programme would like to work with UK companies (Shell, BP) and advisors to run a better process for the next 5 year tender.

The UK Zanzibar-based businesses couple would like to work with UK companies to get them into these contracts if possible.

Express your interest by contacting Growth Gateway at growthgateway@fcdo.gov.uk

Opportunity closing date

01 January 2025

Value of contract

to be confirmed

The buyer is happy to talk to

manufacturers, wholesalers, distributors, agents, consultants