How Tanzania plans to tackle shortage of CNG filling stations

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) is procuring mobile compressed natural gas (CNG) filling stations to address the challenge of insufficient filling stations in the country.

Energy deputy minister Judith Kapinga made the revelation in Parliament on Tuesday when responding to questions from Members of Parliament during the Question and Answers Session.

In the fundamental question, Ms Yustina Rahhi (Special Seats-CCM) sought to know the government’s plans to increase the number of CNG stations in the country to provide refill opportunities following the ongoing citizen’s motivations.

In her response, Ms Kapinga said Tanzania currently has five CNG stations operating in the regions of Dar es Salaam (Ubungo Maziwa, Tazara, and the Airport), Coast (Mkuranga), and Mtwara (Dangote).

She said for the 2024/25 fiscal year, the government, through TPDC, is constructing two CNG stations in Dar es Salaam at the University of Dar es Salaam and the Muhimbili National Hospital and another one at the Kairuki Pharmaceuticals located in Kibaha Zegereni in the Coast Region.

“Additionally, TPDC is continuing with the procurement of mobile CNG filling stations, three of which will be set up in Dar es Salaam, one in Morogoro, and two others in Dodoma Region,” she said.

“On the private sector side, TAQA-Dalbit is continuing the construction of a CNG station in the Dar es Salaam Region (Sam Nujoma Road) at the Posta area. Energo is continuing with the construction of a CNG station in Mikocheni, and the BQ is continuing with the construction of a CNG station in Goba,” he added.

Asking two supplementary questions, Ms Rahhi sought to know the government’s plans to convert its vehicles to CNG and the strategies underway to set up conversion workshops in different parts of the country.

In her response, Ms Kapinga said the government has secured a consultant expert to carry out environmental studies and provide architectural designs for the construction of refilling stations.

“I should assure the honourable legislator that the government has started working on the issue. We are collaborating with the private sector to ensure the country has 30 stations by December 2025,” she said.

Regarding the snail's pace as questioned by Ms Agnes Marwa (Special Seats-CCM), the deputy minister said the government has changed the issuance of permit procedures to enable the private sector to get investment permits easily for execution of projects.

“However, to address the existing challenge, we have ordered the mobile CNG stations as we continue with the construction of stations,” she said, assuring the legislator the permitting and construction speed has been increased.

The TPDC said last week that it was ramping up natural gas production by 80 million cubic feet (cf) by the end of next year to meet surging demand.

The corporation anticipates a significant increase in demand for Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) as more vehicles are converted from petrol to natural gas.

The rise will also be fuelled by the planned increase in the number of factories that use natural gas to power their industrial production activities and an anticipated increase in demand for the resource in neighbouring countries.

With at least 5,000 vehicles having been converted from petrol to CNG, queues are not uncommon in the few refuelling stations that are currently in operation.

Besides, several large-scale manufacturing facilities in Dar es Salaam use natural gas in their production processes.