The Tanzania Electric Supply Company (Tanesco) has officially launched new specs for timber treatment, in line with international standards.
This is an extremely positive development as it will go a long way towards ensuring the production of quality treated timber in Tanzania, and thus the sustainability of the industry in East Africa.
The publication of the specifications follows serious threats to the future of the industry in Tanzania, after the power utility found that a large proportion of wooden poles were failing prematurely. The industry and Tanesco have worked hard together for months to address the issue, in a series of intense working groups, meetings and tours to stakeholder sites.
This work will continue in order to establish the other functions necessary to ensure pole quality.
The improvements in the new specifications include an increase in retention levels; allowance for the treatment of slightly smaller poles, which have been proven adequate in strength tests and which will enable treaters to recover more material and reduce costs; and mandatory kiln-drying instead of air-drying.
The process of investigating and compiling the new specs was an extremely thorough one, and Dolphin Bay is extremely pleased to have been involved, said Bertus.
“We thank Tanesco for their great willingness to listen to us and the other stakeholders, and to incorporate constructive input, in what turned out to be a satisfactory process for us all. They have taken a bold step, which is likely to have influence in the entire East African region. This must be celebrated.
“We trust that the new speculations will lay the foundation for a sustainable timber treatment industry in Tanzania, in which wooden poles provide reliable support for the country’s electrification programme, and we look forward to continuing to work with Tanesco on other issues pertinent to pole quality.”
Dr Eng Mabulla, Safety Manager for Tanesco, thanked Dolphin Bay for providing “decisive input and vital guiding literature” on the new specifications.
“The Dolphin Bay representative attended all working group sessions in Iringa, Tanzania, and Howick, South Africa. He provided vital guiding literature on CCA treatment, and his well-structured contributions gave decisive inputs in the review of the relevant specifications.
“Tanesco was highly privileged to work with Dolphin Bay in the working groups. Dolphin Bay is involved in ensuring that treaters will apply CCA in a way that results in the best quality of penetration, distribution and retention of CCA in their poles. We expect that Dolphin Bay will play a leading role in ensuring that the specifications will be effectively implemented by its customers and prospective customers.
“Tanesco promises to extend its relationship with Dolphin Bay on all matters pertaining to wooden utility poles, especially those involving CCA preservative treatment.
“Thank you very much, Dolphin Bay!”
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