DAR ES SALAAM, March 4 -- ACCESS to clean cooking energy remains one of Tanzanias most pressing development challenges, closely linked to environmental sustainability, public health, and socio-economic progress.

Although the country has made considerable strides in expanding electricity access in recent years, the majority of households still rely heavily on traditional biomass fuels such as firewood and charcoal for daily cooking.

National data indicate that more than 96 per cent of Tanzanians depend on biomass as their primary cooking fuel, with rural households largely using three-stone fireplaces and urban families relying on low-quality charcoal stoves.

These traditional methods are inefficient, consume large volumes of fuel, and ...