Tanzania to unveil 5 new natural gas filling stations

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) has revealed that it will finalise the construction of five more Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) filling stations come March 2023.

TPDC’s commitment to increase filling stations to seven, comes at a time when the country was facing high demand for stations due to the surging number of automobiles using gas systems.

The corporation says over 1,500 vehicles are now using natural gas system, amidst a few number of filling stations that are available in Dar es Salaam.

The two CNG filling stations are located at Tazara and Ubungo in the city here.

The corporation’s plans were unveiled by TPDC’s director general James Mataragio when speaking to The Citizen at the ongoing 46th Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair (DITF) taking place at the Sabasaba grounds along Kilwa Road in Dar es Salaam.

“The new filling stations that are expected to stimulate and increase availability of CNG that will be used by vehicles will be constructed along the Sam Nujoma Road, Ferry, Muhimbili, Kibaha and Ubungo,” he said.

“Natural gas has been recommended as the cheapest vehicle firing source, therefore we are going to increase the number of filling stations in the peripheral areas in order to address the challenge consumers are facing,” he added.

The TPDC boss invited members of the private sector to invest in construction of more filling stations in different parts of the country in order to increase supply and reap available benefits in the sector.

Furthermore, he said at Ubungo filling station, TPDC is planning to build a workshop that will be charged with vehicles conversion to the gaseous system in order to provide customers with multiservice.

He said currently, automobile conversion to gaseous systems is performed only by the Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology (DIT).

According to him, 61 percent of produced natural gas is used for power generation, noting that ongoing plans aim at ensuring that the remaining 39 percent is utilized in vehicles, domestic purposes and raw materials in the manufacture of plastic and fertilizers.

Regarding commencement of the $30 billion Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) project, Dr Mataragio said ongoing negotiations were in good shape with hopes that they will be completed next year.

“Tanzanians should expect major changes in the sector and increase consumption of clean energy that has minimal carbon content which is environmentally friendly,” he said.

According to him, the said measures will address the challenge of deforestation if the majority of citizens will switch to clean energy.

A driver, Mr Selestira Mkwera whose car has been converted to the gas system said he is closely following the progress and benefits after his recent decision to make the conversions.

“The challenge we are facing is the absence of enough filling stations. The government should work on the challenge and educate citizens on the benefit of the conversions,” he said.