The Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) has declared that it intends to build more compressed natural gas (CNG) stations in Dar es Salaam to provide cheaper and cleaner energy for more citizens, ESI Africa reported.

According to the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC), the project will be executed in three phases and will involve construction of 15 compressed natural gas stations in the country’s commercial capital, wrote The East African.

TPDC’s Acting Public Relations Manager, Francis Lupokela, said: “This project hasn’t taken off because of lack of funding. We have divided it into four main zones to simplify investment. TPDC is confident that the project will take off and more stations will be constructed.”

Accordingly, Lupokela disclosed that the state-owned company plans to undertake a feasibility study. “The first study was done in 2012 and the locations for the stations were identified. However, TPDC faced financing challenges for the project,” he added.

In addition, the TPDC official said the company has learnt from current projects implemented in Mikocheni, the CNG plant at Ubungo and from vehicles using both natural gas and normal gasoline.

“The use of natural gas has decreased air pollution and curbed diseases caused by the use of charcoal,” Lupokela said.