BY GADIOSA LAMTEY
25th November 2014.
The natural gas pipeline currently under construction from Mtwara to Dar es Salaam will be tested in January next year, Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) has announced.
The tests will be conducted for a period of six months starting January next year and will run through to June before the project is handed over to the government.
TPDC also reports that construction of the natural gas processing plants at Madimba in Mtwara and that on the SongoSongo Island in Kilwa have also been completed.
TPDC Project Manager Baltazar Mrosso said other completed works include placement of the gas pipes and Fiber Optic Cable (FOC) lying, backfilling of the installed pipes and the FOC.
“Construction of the Madimba processing plant camps have also been completed,” he said.
“The project is progressing well despite the few challenges it has faced like theft of the constructor’s equipments,” he added noting that also straining and welding of the pipeline has been completed.
“Some works that are almost completed include set up of the gas processing plant at Madimba and hydrostatic pressure testing of the pipeline which is about 76 per cent complete,” the TPDC project manager.
He cited that construction of valve stations and gas receiving stations at Somanga are completed by 64 per cent, while the ones at Kinyerezi and Tegeta in Dar es Salaam are also more than half way completed.
In his comments, TPDC Acting Director General James Andilile said sensitisation and education especially of villagers in areas where the pipeline passes and the public in general must be increased and emphasised.
He said the general public should understand the importance of the project in development of the gas sector which among other things is expected to increase electricity generation and that way improve the national economy by boosting business activities and investments.
TPDC reports an abundant amount of gas reserve in Tanzania estimating reserves of natural gas to be 43 Trillion Cubic feet (TCF) and valued at USD 430 billion.
In 2012 the government through the Ministry of Energy and Minerals signed an agreement for the financing of the project at a cost of USD 1.225bn.
Compared to the 12-16 inch pipe owned by Songas currently, the pipeline under construction is 24-30 inches in size and substantially increase the volume of gas transported which is estimated to be 420 standard cubic feet of gas a day capable of generating over 2,000 megawatts (MW) of electricity.
The pipeline project is expected to reduce the cost of producing thermal electricity from the current USD 0.34 cents to USD 0.12 cents per megawatt.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN
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