BRafr-September2017

Nigel Whittaker, Managing
Director of Songas, explains
how the company is supplying
much-needed energy to Tanzania
“It’s very important for everybody
to have access to reliable
electricity, and I think that Africa
generally suffers in comparison
with the rest of the world.”
Nigel Whittaker, Managing Director
of Songas, holds these beliefs that
mirror those of his company and its
parent company, Globeleq. Songas
is a major player in the electricity
sector for Tanzania, and has been
since it became operational in
2004. The company uses natural
gas from Songo Songo Island and
processes it on location, before
transporting it along a 225km
pipeline to the Ubungo Power
Plant in Dar es Salaam, owned
and operated by Songas. The gas
is then converted into electricity
which is sold cheaply to TANESCO
to sell on to its customers.
In a nation which relies heavily on
hydroelectric power
via precious water
supplies which are
subject to droughts, and
expensive fuel oil must
be imported, Songas’s
presence is a necessity.
“Only around 30% of
people in Tanzania have
access to electricity, but the
government has a plan to
increase the industrialisation of
the country,” says Whittaker. “In
order for that to happen, reliable
electricity needs to be available
so that industry can thrive.
“Currently there’s about
1,100MW of electricity available
in Tanzania, and the government
wants to increase that to 5,000MW,
to develop industrialisation and
improve access to electricity. We
support that. We want to be a part
112 September 2017