Gas-run vehicles in offing
TANZANIAN motorists’ worries about oil prices fluctuations will soon end as the government is planning to introduce natural gas powered vehicles this year.
CAROLINE MANONGI and JIANG ALIPO
TANZANIAN motorists’ worries about oil prices fluctuations will soon end as the government is planning to introduce natural gas powered vehicles this year.
The introduction of compressed natural gas as an alternative to petrol and diesel is expected to save motorists and vehicle owners 40 per cent of the cost of transport.
The Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) Principal Petroleum Geologist, Mr Elias Kilembe, told the ‘Daily News on Saturday’ at the ongoing Public Service Exhibition Week yesterday that sample of the cars will be displayed in the coming International Trade Fair in Dar es Salaam.
“The compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles will be displayed at the coming Saba Saba trade fair, to demonstrate to people how the gas run cars are going to work,” said Kilembe.
Mr Kilembe said that initially, the cheaper and environmentally friendly cars will be able to switch from CNG to petroleum when the gas runs out.
“That is because there will be few petrol stations selling natural gas, so to avoid the car running out of fuel completely, it will switch to petroleum,” he explained.
The geologist said that studies conducted showed that motorist will save up to 40 per cent when using natural gas instead of petroleum, since the former was cheaper.
He said converting a saloon car to use the gas will not cost more than 1m/-. The natural gas used will be that developed from the Songo Songo gas field in Kilwa District, he added.
Moreover, Mr Kilembe said that TPDC was also planning to introduce usage of the natural gas in institutions such as big hospitals and hotels for cooking purposes.
“The programme will start soon. Keko Prison will be the first institution as preliminary studies have already been carried out, we are in advanced stages of implementing the project,” he said.
Souce: Daily News
