Rural off-grid Dairy Value Chain for Energy Access and Income Generation

Partners: Science Technology And Innovation For Development

Country: Tanzania

Technology: Diesel and petrol generator replacements

Stage: Early

Stage: Round 10

OMASI, the local NGO partner of Science Technology and Innovation for Development (STI4D), initiated off-grid dairy businesses across the region. Women who sold their milk to the dairy were suddenly empowered. They could sell their milk, buy family essentials in nearby shops, and invest some of the funds in school fees for their children.

These dairies depend on reliable power since so much capital is tied up in products which will quickly spoil if refrigeration fails. A 63 kW diesel generator therefore powered each dairy. Grid supply in Northern Tanzania, however, is unreliable. Clean energy from mini-grids, on the other hand, is a more reliable power source. As traditional mini-grids struggle with the high and variable dairy loaad, STI4D and OMASI aim to develop cost-effective technology for clean and reliable power, ensuring sustained dairy operations. The same technology approach could also support other high-power productive use anchor loads in communities.