THE government has saved 52 billion US dollars (approximately 121trl/- in 18 years since the country embarked on natural gas to boost its energy mix plan, Director General of Petroleum Upstream Regulatory Authority (PURA) Engineer Charles Sangweni has said.
He made the revelation here on Monday saying before 2004 when the country started using natural gas for power generation, the government spent a lot of money on importation of fuel as a power generation.
He said natural gas accounts to 70 per cent of electricity produced in the country.
Eng Sangweni was speaking during a tour by PURA Board of Directors at Ntorya, a conventional gas development area located onshore of Mtwara Region.
He said the government would save more only if it invests on natural gas infrastructures which are critical in supplying gas services to large and enough markets in and outside the country.
“For the gas services to reach majority in and outside the country, infrastructure services are very critical,” he said adding that generation of electricity using gas would help save much money usually spent on importation of fuel which is costly.
The country has 57.54 trillion cubic feet of commercially viable natural gas reserves which PURA believes could put the economy on the right trajectory if put to effective use.
PURA board directors accompanied members of board committees; PURA management including experts also visited Mnazi Bay Gas Field and Madimba Gas Processing Plant in Mtwara Region to explore development of the work undertaken by PURA.
