DAR ES SALAAM: TANZANIA’S state-owned energy company plans to connect more than 2,600 additional households to its natural gas network this financial year, accelerating the government’s push to expand access to cleaner cooking fuel and reduce reliance on charcoal and firewood.
The expansion by the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) is part of the country’s Clean Cooking Energy Strategy, which aims to increase the use of domestically produced natural gas while improving energy security and lowering emissions associated with biomass fuels.
TPDC will install more than 1,000 new household connections in Dar es Salaam, covering the neighbourhoods of Mikocheni, Sinza, Lugalo and Ubungo.
The programme also targets more than 800 households in Mtwara and another 800 in Mkuranga as the utility extends its residential pipeline network. The rollout builds on an existing distribution system that has already connected more than 2,500 households in Dar es Salaam, Mtwara and Lindi, reflecting growing demand for cleaner and more affordable cooking energy.
TPDC Marketing Officer, Ms Neema Cleophace said the company is continuing to invest in gas distribution infrastructure as part of broader efforts to increase access to natural gas for households while maximising the value of Tanzania’s domestic energy resources.
“The expansion of household natural gas connections is aimed at making clean cooking energy more accessible while improving the efficient use of Tanzania’s natural gas resources,” Cleophace said. “We will continue investing in infrastructure and public awareness to encourage more households to adopt natural gas.”
She urged homeowners, property developers and businesses located within the planned service areas to prepare for network connections, describing natural gas as a reliable long-term alternative to conventional cooking fuels.
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According to TPDC, wider adoption of pipeline gas can reduce household exposure to indoor air pollution, improve energy reliability and support national efforts to curb deforestation by lowering dependence on charcoal and firewood.
The expansion also aligns with Tanzania’s strategy of using its estimated natural gas reserves to drive economic development beyond industrial applications.
While large volumes of gas currently supply power generation and manufacturing, the government is increasingly promoting household consumption as another avenue for expanding the domestic gas market.
As distribution infrastructure grows, TPDC expects residential demand to complement industrial and commercial consumption, strengthening the role of natural gas in Tanzania’s evolving energy mix while supporting the country’s transition to cleaner and more sustainable cooking solutions.