Tanzania’s Clean Cooking Revolution: Natural Gas Transforms Household Energy Landscape
Tanzania is making significant strides in transforming household energy consumption through an ambitious natural gas expansion strategy, targeting a substantial reduction in biomass fuel dependence.
Recent data reveals impressive growth in household natural gas connections across key regions. Dar es Salaam now boasts 880 connected households, while Lindi has dramatically increased connections to 677 homes, with 470 new connections in the current financial year. Mtwara reports 425 household connections, and Mkuranga District is actively constructing pipelines to serve 530 homes.
The national clean cooking initiative aims to address critical challenges, with biomass currently accounting for over 80 percent of household energy use. This dependency contributes to severe environmental and health issues, including deforestation, carbon emissions, and respiratory risks from traditional cooking methods.
Regulatory oversight is crucial to this transformation. The energy authority is implementing strict safety standards to ensure infrastructure reliability, monitoring gas quality, pressure valves, and implementing comprehensive leak detection protocols.
Strategic expansion plans include developing mini-liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects targeting major cities like Tanga, Mwanza, Mbeya, Iringa, Shinyanga, Morogoro, Dodoma, and Arusha. These initiatives will extend clean cooking solutions to previously underserved regions, providing accessible and efficient energy alternatives.
By 2025, Tanzania’s natural gas pipeline network will stretch over 815 kilometers, connecting processing plants and distribution networks. This infrastructure development represents a transformative approach to addressing energy poverty and promoting sustainable household energy consumption.
The government remains committed to supporting investors and expanding clean cooking solutions, positioning Tanzania at the forefront of innovative energy transformation in the region.
