Tanzania on the road to clean energy for cars and domestic use By WILFRED EDWIN Posted Monday, July 20 2009
Tanzania has introduced the first ever natural gas compression plant to power motor vehicles and other domestic gadgets.
The shift is expected to halve both the cost and dependence on charcoal and petroleum products, hence reducing gas emissions and the cost of living.
Until June this year, the country had saved more than $1 billion from the use of natural gas in electricity generation and industrial production.
Yona Kilagane, director-general of the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation, said the pilot project had targeted to provide compressed natural gas to 30,000 households and 8,000 cars in Dar es Salaam, before it spreads across the country during the second phase which is pegged on availability of funds.
Mr Kilagane said the project will greatly reduce the country’s reliance on imported liquefied petroleum gas, petrol and diesel for both cooking and running cars.
“This project will minimise the impact of environmental degradation and save huge amounts of money spent on fuel imports and it will also help reduce poverty,” he said.
According to Mr Kilagane, exploitation of the natural gas will greatly depend on lowered costs that must come from government tax waivers on compressors, dispensers, conversion kits and cylinders in order to reduce service costs.
However, only cars running on petrol will be compatible with gas conversion kits, and that already six cars had been converted by last week at a cost of $1,200-$1,500 depending on the size of the vehicle.
Two stations are designated for the purpose at Ubungo and Mikocheni TPDC compounds, and more would be installed on demand.
The project is being implemented through a partnership the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation and the PanAfrican Energy.
However, only cars with a life span of not more than three years will be suitable for conversion and TPDC and PAET would certify all these procedures to make sure that required standards are met and adhered to by all those involved.
Mr Kilagane said that the cost of conversion will be the responsibility of the truck operator. PAET would subsidise CNG fuel made available to the truck operator in order to off-set the cost of the truck conversion.
The initial route of operation will be from Ubungo station at Ubungo to various locations around Dar es Salaam, such as Ohio Street and the TPDC compound.
“Additional routes will be added throughout the year and would include other sites throughout Dar es Salaam and more distant territories such as Morogoro,” said Mr Kilagane.
One market segment for the gas will be CNG-powered vehicles (cars, buses, trucks and others), whereby Pan African and the TPDC will certify the import technology and expertise.
Availability of the right people in the business community to own and operate trucks for the purpose of delivering CNG in trailers (supplied by PanAfrican Energy-PAET) is also being worked upon.
Another group of project actors will be those involved in the actual vehicle conversions.
This will include the supply of conversion kits (cylinders), regulators, engine management system and others) and the role of installing these kits.
In order to maintain the highest environmental standards, the project would also adhere to all international conversion standards and all relevant safety standards.
The project was a close collaboration of the engineering institutions of the University of Dar es Salaam-College of Engineering Technology, the Bureau for Industrial Co-operation, Dar es Salaam Institute of Technology and Vocational Education and Training Authority.
Their collaborative work includes conversion, training, testing and support in the formulation of reference materials, standards and specification.
The Tanzania gas is also set to benefit Kenya.
Recently, the East African Community Secretariat said African Development Bank will finance studies for construction of the Dar es Salaam-Tanga-Mombasa natural gas pipeline that will pave way for the construction of the plant in Mombasa by year end.
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