Frustration in queues hinders the fuel revolution

The revolution in vehicle fuel is gaining momentum in Tanzania, but the lack of filling stations means it is stuck in second gear.

Like Nigeria and some other countries on the continent, Tanzania has begun to embrace compressed natural gas (CNG) as an alternative to petrol and diesel.

It is seen as cleaner and better for the environment than fossil fuels, but its relative cheapness is the biggest draw for the 5,000 or so motorists in the East African country who have embraced the change, especially commercial drivers.

This represents a small fraction of vehicles in Tanzania, but early adopters are paving the way for wider acceptance of CNG – with the government reportedly wanting near-full adoption by mid-century.

Tanzania has significant undersea gas reserves, and for those who fill up on gas, CNG can cost less than half of its gasoline equivalent.

The potential savings were enough to convince taxi owner Samuel Amos Irubi to part with about 1.5 million Tanzanian shillings ($620; £495) to convert his three-wheeler – known locally as Bajaji – to CNG.

But now, when he has to get gas twice a day, he often spends more time waiting at a filling station in the largest city, Dar es Salaam, than he does earning money.

There are only four places in the commercial hub of Tanzania that he can fill.

Quietly frustrated, he says he has to wait at least three hours every time he wants to refuel, but the savings make it worth it, because he only spends 40% of what he does on the equivalent amount of gasoline.

Queues of slow-moving vehicles at the Ubongo CNG station meander down the road. Things are neat – there are three clear lines, one for cars and two for Bajaj – but the discomfort is palpable.

Midade Kishongo Ngoma, who has been in line for two hours, stares at the cars in front of him as he waits next to his silver pickup truck.

He told the BBC he was among the first people in the city to convert his car, which involved fitting a large cylinder to the back of the truck, and remembers short queues.

“Sometimes the host has to be called to serve us,” he says.

He complains that the infrastructure has not expanded to accommodate the increasing demand.

This is also the slogan heard at the city's largest CNG filling stations near the airport.

My friend Christian Mkombuka has been waiting here for three hours with Bajaji.

“The waiting list is very long,” he says, adding, “We should have as many stations as there are gas stations.”

But considering the price will keep people coming back.

“I pay 15,000 shillings ($6; £5) to fill my 11-kilogram fuel tank, which is enough for about 180 kilometres,” says another motorist who introduces himself as Juma, adding that this is less than half the cost of petrol to cover it. Same distance. .

Encouraging motorists to adopt CNG-powered vehicles in Tanzania has been planned for more than a decade, but did not begin in earnest until 2018.

Those in charge of the project admit that they did not expect the rapid increase in demand.

Aristides Kato, CNG project manager at the state oil company, Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC), tells the BBC that there has been a “very significant increase” recently in the use of natural gas by car owners.

“We found ourselves not having enough infrastructure to support the demand for gas-powered vehicles,” he admits.

However, authorities want more people to switch to compressed natural gas because it is a relatively clean-burning fossil fuel that produces lower emissions of almost all types of air pollutants, according to the United Nations.

In addition, locally available natural gas should allow for cheaper prices than gasoline. But the cost of converting a car combined with the lower mileage a full tank gives the driver compared to petrol or diesel may put off some people.

However, the director of Taqa Arabia, an Egyptian company that operates a filling station near the airport, sees the increasing demand as “a positive sign that the use of CNG is starting to develop in Tanzania.”

Amr Abu Shadi says his company plans to build more stations, and hopes to “replicate our success story in Egypt by helping the (Tanzanian) government make optimal use of natural gas as a cleaner, reliable and affordable energy source.”

Egypt is a pioneer in the use of compressed natural gas on the continent, as about half a million vehicles have been converted to the dual fuel system since the 1990s.

Other African countries that have approved the use of CNG in vehicles include South Africa, Kenya, Mozambique and Ethiopia.

The authorities in Tanzania are committed to implementing more infrastructure and hope to encourage more private investors to participate.

A central CNG “mother station” is being built in Dar es Salaam by TPDC, which will supply gas to smaller stations across the country.

In addition, TPDC will acquire five CNG mobile units which will be located in Dar es Salaam as well as in the capital, Dodoma and Morogoro.

In the medium term these measures should lead to shorter queues, but for now the lack of filling stations will continue to frustrate CNG pioneers in Tanzania.