WaterKiosk - Solar Energy for COVID-19 Response to Mnazi Mmoja Hospital (Tanzania)

Who, What & Where

• WaterKiosk 
• Solar Energy for COVID-19 Response to Mnazi Mmoja Hospital 
• Stone Town, Zanzibar, Tanzania

The Company

Waterkiosk Africa is a registered entity specialised on renewable energy solution for water treatment facilities. The company installs, operates and maintains solar water desalination systems for off-grid communities around Africa.

The Challenge

Many health care facilities in rural areas need a stable supply of clean and hygienic water, especially in water-scarce areas, and where levels of salinity are too high for drinking purposes. With the COVID-19 pandemic, health care facilities capacities and their access to clean water have been pushed to the limit due to the increased number of patients and
COVID-19 guidelines (i.e., frequent hand washing, disinfecting facilities, etc.) and drove the water needs of Mnazi Mmoja health care facility higher than ever before.

Renewable Solution

To help improve the situation in Tanzania and especially Zanzibar, Boreal Light GmbH and the German government founded a project that was installed and operated by WaterKiosk Ltd., with the objective to provide 100 m³ of clean water per day to Mnazi Mmoja health care facility. To do so, saline polluted water is treated in the decentralised desalination plant, entirely powered by solar energy.

A solar array was installed at the facility site to feed a well water pump and a desalination system, 60 kWp in total. The capacity of the installed desalination system amounts to 10,000 l/h. The system is equipped with pre-filters, UV disinfection lamps, a reverse osmosis module and different pumps. The solar-powered water desalination solution is eliminating the lack of or insufficient electricity. This solution also solves the problem of costly fuel, especially during COVID-19 times, and high carbon emissions.

Project Financing and Costs

EUR 250,000

• WaterKiosk Ltd (system installation & operation)
• Boreal Light GmbH (manufacturer and project financing)
• KfW DEG (project financing)
• Lady Fatemah Charitable Trust (funding)

Project Outcome

• Since February 2022, solar panels with a total installed capacity of 60 kWp ensure reliable, independent access to clean drinking and sanitation water to the Mnazi Mmoja hospital health care facilities with 776 beds.
• Diesel engines have been eliminated from the operational site, as well as water hauling.
• 300 tonnes of CO2 emissions are avoided per year.
• The excess of solar electricity supports the internal electricity load of the health care facility.
• Three new direct jobs have been created by employing operational staff. The jobs created during the projects remain as long as the plant is operated.
• Employees of any gender and age can operate and maintain the plant, fostering women inclusion in the project, with four female operators today.
• Timely implementation to respond to limited access to clean water as well as respond to financial constraints due to COVID-19.

Key Recommendations for International Funding Partners & Regulators

When it comes to health care facilities, water is not just water, it is medicine. Renewable energy that provides electricity and clean water can play an important role in reducing electricity and water bills for patients and monthly expenses for health care facilities. The offset generated can be invested in improving other areas of the health care facilities thereby improving the quality of health care.