THE first integrated Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) filling station and conversion centre along Sam Nujoma road in Dar es Salaam will start its operations in November, this year, a senior officer confirmed yesterday.

Apart from serving vehicles, it would be the largest CNG in Tanzania and will also serve residential and industrial areas.

Dr James Mataragio, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Energy unveiled this here when he visited the construction site. He said that construction of the CNG will reduce the inconvenience to the owners of gas-powered cars who have been queuing up due to the lack of enough stations at the moment.

Dr Mataragio wanted the contractor to speed up the implementation of the project by increasing human resources and equipment so that it could be completed early and start serving the people.

He said that currently the gas filling stations do not meet the existing needs, so the completion of the station will reduce the problems of people who want to use natural gas.

He said Tanzanians are waiting for the project with great enthusiasm, especially in this period when the main agenda of the government is to promote clean energy.

Dr Mataragio said the station will be the largest gas filling and distribution centre for various regions, starting with Dodoma and Morogoro regions.

He said that the station would also be used to distribute CNG in other small stations that will be built including Muhimbili and Kibaha and later in different areas.

He also wanted the Project Management Manager from the National Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC), Eng. Aristides Katto to be at the project site all the time to see and manage the work effectively and motivate the contractor to speed up the construction.

Derick Moshi TPDC Director of Planning and Implementation said that in September this year, the initial works of the project will be completed and the equipment will arrive in the country and start the installation process.

“TPDC promises that the project will be built rapidly and we expect before the end of this year the station will start to supply gas to people’s homes, factories and to fill cars that use gas,” he said.

He said TPDC will work to ensure that within the next few years, Tanzania has 15 large CNG filling stations in various locations in the country.