Dar es Salaam. At least 29 multinational companies have
shown interest in conducting feasibility study and constructing a pipeline that
will pump natural gas from Tanzania to Uganda.
TPDC acting managing director Mr Kapuulya Musomba told The
Citizen during the second Oil and Gas Congress yesterday that the winner will
be hired to
conduct a feasibility study to determine current and future natural
gas demand and the cost of the project.
Tanzania and Uganda have already signed a Memorandum of
Understanding (MoU) that will see the former pumping natural gas to the latter,
according to Deputy Minister for Energy Ms Subira Mgalu.
The pipeline would start from Dar es Salaam and pass
through Tanga port on the Indian Ocean and to Mwanza, a port on Lake Victoria
before crossing the border to Uganda according to TPDC. However, Uganda
proposes to use the corridor of Hoima-Tanga where a crude oil pipeline from
Uganda to Tanzania will pass.
Speaking to The Citizen at the congress, Minister of
State for Minerals in Uganda, Mr Peter Lokeris, said the natural gas will be
supplied in western Uganda areas where iron ore was discovered.
According to him, natural gas will be used for power
generation (electricity) and heating in the iron and steel manufacturing
industries.
“After conducting thorough researches, we (Government of
Uganda) realized that natural gas will be the cheapest source compared to other
suggested energy options,” he said.
Tanzania boasts estimated recoverable natural gas
reserves of over 57 trillion cubic feet (tcf).
He requested the multinational investors who attended the
congress to put their money into the project.
Source: The Citizen