Hassan Magulumali
The government, through the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC), has been praised for the construction of the country’s first Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) mother station and two smaller stations for receiving and storing CNG for initial customers.
The commendations were made on January 25, 2025, by the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Energy and Minerals, Hon. David Mathayo David, during a tour to inspect the gas filling station under construction at the University of Dar es Salaam and the development of the Kinyerezi gas receiving station.
“We commend the government for accepting the parliamentary advice to build this large gas refueling station, which will allow smaller stations to take gas from here to refuel vehicles in other areas,” said Hon. David.
The parliamentary committee also recommended the government consider an efficient method for distributing the gas infrastructure to reach more areas across the country, providing citizens with opportunities to operate machinery using natural gas rather than traditional fuels like diesel and petrol.
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Hon. David noted that transporting gas through pipelines is more cost-effective than using vehicles, and the gas should be utilized across all regions to reduce foreign exchange expenditure on imported fuels.
Meanwhile, the Deputy Minister of Energy, Hon. Judith Kapinga, stated that in addition to supplying CNG to smaller stations not yet connected to the pipeline infrastructure, the station will provide refueling services for all vehicle types, including trucks, buses, passenger cars, and three-wheeled motorcycles (bajaji).
“The station will be able to serve eight vehicles simultaneously, and it is expected to provide services to 1,200 vehicles per day. This is the largest station in the country,” said Kapinga.
The cost of the project is TZS 18,946,766,486, divided into three contracts for the Mother Station, Muhimbili Station, and Kairuki Station, with all funding provided by the government through TPDC.
Hon. Kapinga mentioned that the Ministry of Energy continues to encourage private sector participation in building vehicle refueling stations, an initiative that has been well received.
The stations are under construction to ensure CNG refueling services are available in various parts of the country, starting with the Dar es Salaam region.
