TZ: Harness energy resources

DAR ES SALAAM: TANZANIA has called for enhanced cooperation among East African Community (EAC) member states to fully harness renewable energy and petroleum resources, including gas and oil, for sustainable development.

Speaking at the opening of the East African Petroleum Conference and Exhibition 2025 (EAPCE’25) on behalf of President Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre (JNICC) in Dar es Salaam yesterday, Vice-President Dr Philip Mpango noted the rapidly growing energy sector and the need for the region to benefit from it.

He stressed the importance of unity to effectively utilise the region’s energy resources and create a pathway for sustainable development and lasting prosperity. He also welcomed investors and development partners to join EAC in advancing the sector.

“The East African region stands at the dawn of a new era, where sustainable energy development will define the future of our environment, economies and societies. Our path forward must balance growth with sustainability, innovation with responsibility, and the needs of today with the aspirations of tomorrow,” Dr Mpango said.

He said that the theme of EAPCE’25 reflects the challenges faced today, as the region must address climate change concerns that require changes in energy sources and the social and economic needs of the people, which demand energy and financial resources to address.

“On one hand, we must tackle climate change, which requires changes in how people use energy. On the other hand, we have the pressing economic and social needs ofour people that require energy and resources. One solution to this challenge is developing our region’s resources, including petroleum,” he added.

Dr Mpango also underscored the collective obligation to balance sustaining the needs of today’s populations while ensuring that future generations can meet their own needs.

He noted that East Africa is endowed with significant energy resources, including petroleum, with natural gas discovered in Tanzania, oil in Uganda, Kenya and South Sudan, methane in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and geothermal resources in Kenya and Tanzania.

“These resources will be major revenue sources for governments, helping to fund infrastructure, social services and the broader development agenda,” Dr Mpango said.

He further explained that the region’s growing energy demand is driven by initiatives such as industrialisation and rural electrification. To meet this demand and benefit the people, it is crucial to effectively utilise all available energy resources, including petroleum, to close the energy deficit and accelerate development.

Dr Mpango insisted the importance of balancing resource use for economic growth and future prosperity, while also addressing the global issue of climate change.

He assured that Tanzania continues to increase investment in the petroleum sector, particularly through rural electrification and clean cooking initiatives, to achieve a just energy transition.

Dr Mpango urged EAC member states to embrace the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model to attract sufficient capital for harnessing the region’s abundant renewable energy resources.

On his part, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Energy, Dr Doto Biteko, pointed out that significant progress has been made under the leadership of President Samia Suluhu Hassan, particularly in enhancing natural gas production in the Songosongo and Mnazi Bay fields, which are vital to the gas economy.

Dr Biteko also noted the increased participation of the state-owned Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) in the Mnazi Bay field, which has risen from a 20 per cent stake to 40 per cent.

Earlier, EAC Secretary General, Ms Veronica Nduva, said the region is a promising destination for petroleum investments, citing ongoing discoveries in member states.

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Ms Nduva noted that approximately 6.5 billion barrels of oil have been discovered in Uganda, over 700 million barrels of oil in Kenya, and about 50 trillion cubic meters of natural gas in Tanzania, while South Sudan continues to exploit and export oil.

“We expect more updates on the oil and gas developments in the region,” she said. Furthermore, Ms Nduva stressed the importance of investing in skills, research, innovation and harnessing technological advancements, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), among EAC member states.