Orca Exploration Group, Tanzania’s principle supplier of natural gas, has increased significantly its supply to the Dar es Salaam power generation, from one million cubic metres per day to 1.6 million. The gas comes from Orca’s gas processing plant on Songo Songo Island situated 15 km off the Tanzanian coast, about 200 km south of Dar es Salaam.
The renewed availability of gas to electricity turbines in Dar es Salaam has helped to reduce power shortages caused by drought-affected hydroelectric dams at Kinhansi and New Pangani power plants, one in central and the other in northern Tanzania, as well as the malfunctioning Songas plant in Dar es Salaam.
Although the increased supply will not rule out power rationing completely, Tanzania Electric Supply Company said that rationing would return to its “normal schedule”. Over the last year extensive power rationing was introduced in the country, leaving many areas without power for up to 12 hours a day.
Tanzania’s ministry of energy and minerals has pledged to invest over 1.6trn Tanzanian shillings in processing plants in Mtwara and Lindi in southern Tanzania.
Meanwhile, construction of a 530 km gas pipeline from Mnazi Bay in the south to Dar es Salaam via Kilwa in central Tanzania is to be funded by a $1bn loan from China's Exim Bank. Work is set to begin in November.
Tanzania has the lowest electricity supply in east Africa. Songo Songo gas field was discovered in 1974 but wasn’t developed for gas production until 1991.
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