In brief
A revolution in vehicle fuel is underway in Tanzania, where compressed natural gas (CNG) is gaining traction as a cleaner alternative to petrol and diesel. However, the growth is hampered by a limited number of filling stations, leading to long waits and frustration among users. As the government pushes for broader adoption by mid-century, efforts are being made to expand infrastructure to meet rising demand.
In a move towards cleaner energy, Tanzania is acknowledging the need for alternative fueling options, with compressed natural gas (CNG) emerging as the frontrunner. Similar to the trends seen in Nigeria and other African nations, the adoption of CNG among the 5,000 current users demonstrates a promising shift, albeit one that is currently bogged down by a critical shortage of filling stations.Motorists in Tanzania are attracted to CNG for its affordability and lower environmental impact when compared to traditional petrol and diesel. The East African country boasts vast underwater gas reserves, allowing companies to offer CNG for significantly less than petrol. For taxi owner Samuel Amos Irube, the conversion of his bajaji to CNG has kept his operational costs down, yet the limited refueling options mean he often spends more time waiting in line than earning income.The main filling stations in the capital, Dar es Salaam, have seen queues extending for hours as demand increases. Medadi Kichungo Ngoma, a CNG vehicle owner, recalls a time when refueling was quicker and more convenient. Many like him express frustration that infrastructure has not kept pace with the growing number of CNG vehicles on the road. The longest lines tend to form at the Ubungo station, where tensions rise as drivers wait for service amidst limited capacity.Despite the inconvenience of long wait times, the economic advantage of using CNG keeps drivers returning. Juma, a fellow motorist, highlights that the nearly 15,000 Tanzanian shillings required to fill his gas tank allows him to travel for less than half the cost of petrol, showcasing the financial benefit that attracts many early adopters.Launched over a decade ago, Tanzania's initiative to promote CNG took off in earnest in 2018, though authorities did not anticipate the rapid spike in usage. Aristides Kato, the CNG project manager at the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC), admits that they are scrambling to meet the unexpected demand for natural gas vehicles.While initially viewed as a stepping stone towards a greener future, the current state of infrastructure continues to pose hurdles. Amr Aboushady from Taqa Arabia acknowledges the growing interest in CNG as a positive development, stating plans to add more stations in alignment with governmental efforts to enhance the country's natural gas resources further.In response to these challenges, the TPDC is building a central CNG "mother station" within Dar es Salaam and acquiring mobile CNG units to ease access in other cities. The ultimate goal is to encourage additional private investment to accelerate growth.As Tanzania forges ahead with its CNG project in hopes of achieving widespread adoption, stakeholders remain optimistic that expanding infrastructure will result in shorter queues and improved accessibility to this cleaner fuel source. The immediate future, however, remains a test for the nation's pioneering CNG users, who navigate the bottleneck of fueling locations while striving for a sustainable energy future.
