For decades, Tanzanian households have relied heavily on firewood and charcoal for cooking. Currently, only about 7% of the population has adopted clean cooking solutions. With a population of 69 million, this means approximately 4.8 million people use cleaner fuels.
This dependence on traditional biomass fuels causes significant air pollution, contributing to an estimated 33,000 deaths annually, and drives widespread deforestation. Tanzania loses about 1% of its forests each year-equivalent to roughly 400,000 hectares, or 645,500 soccer fields.
Tanzania’s LPG infrastructure is expanding rapidly. As of late 2024, the country operates six LPG receiving facilities in Dar es Salaam and Tanga with a total storage capacity of about 17,770 metric tons, alongside 37 storage and refilling plants nationwide with a combined capacity of 2,214 metric tons.
On March 1, 2025, President Samia Suluhu Hassan laid the foundation stone for a $50 million LPG storage facility in Tanga. Developed by GBP Tanzania, this facility will have a storage capacity of 30,000 liters and aims to increase access to affordable, clean cooking fuel. This move supports the National Clean Cooking Energy Strategy by reducing reliance on wood and charcoal, which contribute to deforestation and health risks.
These new LPG investments align with Tanzania’s target of having 80% of its population using clean cooking solutions by 2034. With the population expected to reach about 90.4 million by then, this equates to approximately 72 million people adopting cleaner fuels-an increase of 67.2 million users over the next nine years. This shift could prevent thousands of deaths caused by smoke inhalation from inefficient cooking systems.
Major LPG market players like Oryx Energies have committed to converting six million households from charcoal and firewood to LPG by 2034, further accelerating the clean cooking agenda.
In summary, investments in LPG infrastructure mark a bold step toward cleaner energy access in Tanzanian homes. They position the country as a regional energy player and complement its vision for sustainable natural gas exports, paving the way for a resilient and sustainable energy future.
