REA in Major Projects To Improve Use Of Natural Gas In Tanzania -

By STAFF REPORTER

THE Rural Energy Agency (REA) is rolling out diverse support for the execution of key projects meant to expand use of natural gas in the country, being with an eye to discourage charcoal consumption.

It is estimated that, at least 400,000 hectares of forests are being destroyed annually in Tanzania due to charcoal production, together with the other unfriendly human practices.

Literally, this means the country will turn into a complete desert within the next 250 years if the situation is not timely contained.

However, the concerted efforts to have the majority of Tanzanians switch from the popular use of charcoal to natural gas has not been an easy task due to numerous challenges, including poverty and poor awareness.

Giving a press conference in Dodoma Capital City yesterday, the Director General (DG) of the Rural Energy Agency (REA), Eng. Hassan Said, informed that the state-owned Agency was working to support implementation of several projects to help expand use of gas and other alternative power, including solar across the country.

Going into specific details, he communicated that at least 18.5bn/- has been set aside to support implementation of a grand project to disseminate natural gas services in the country’s rural areas.

“In implementing the envisaged project, we’re partnering with the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation ( TPDC), and the project will benefit the citizens dwelling in some coastal areas, including Mtwara and Dar es Salaam, ” he unveiled.

Together with that, he expressed that the other project will major into national -wide provision of Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG or LP) gas tanks, whereby each region will freely be distributed by at least 2700 tanks.

“This project, which in its second phase will see provision of a total of 500,000 gas-tanks, among others, targets to heighten use of the environmentally-friendly source of power in the country,” he informed.

So far, he added, the government has injected the Agency with a total of 10bn/- to support the other project for the installation of a cooking gas system at a total of 100 public institutions in the country, being the pilot project.

“The government has directed that all public institutions that cater for more than 300 staff must adopt the use of gas in their cooking system and thus, the project is part to ensure the vision materialises,” he expressed.

In the same vein, he said the other 14bn/- will be spend to support a special program to capacitate producers of the locally-made fuel efficient cookstoves (skimpy cookers), and the alternative charcoal, to produce in abundant and marketing the environmentally –frindly items at patriotic prices to the people within rural areas.

“The target is to raise awareness towards the public over the negative impacts in the use of charcoal, but also, to ensure the fuel efficient cookstoves are available in abundant and at friendly prices, ” he added.

There are six gas power plants operating in Tanzania including the Ubungo I and II gas plants, the Somanga, Mtwara, and Kinyerezi gas plants.

Tanzania is estimated to have more than 55 trillion cubic feet of gas reserves. Large multinational oil companies are currently licensed to explore natural gas and oil in various parts of Tanzania, both offshore and onshore.

Oil and gas exploration in Tanzania has been underway since 1952, with the first natural gas discovery being made in 1974 at Songo Songo in the Kilwa district in the Lindi Region. In 1982 a second discovery was made in the Mtwara Region, bordering Lindi, at Mnazi Bay. The commercialisation of these discoveries triggered onshore and offshore exploration.

REA is an autonomous body under the Ministry of Energy of the United Republic of Tanzania. Its main role is to promote and facilitate improved access to modern energy services in rural areas of Mainland Tanzania