Tanzania’s Electrification Surge Adds Weight to the Gas Demand Story

Electrification Is a Demand Signal

30th June 2026

Tanzania’s energy story is often discussed through large infrastructure projects, gas pipelines, power stations, industrial investment and future LNG concepts. But one of the clearest demand signals is much simpler: more people are being connected to electricity.

Recent reporting on the Mission 300 programme places Tanzania at the front of Africa’s electrification surge, with 7.5 million people gaining access to power under the initiative. The World Bank described that as a five-fold increase in Tanzania’s previous average annual pace of electrification.

That matters because electricity access is not just about household lighting. It changes the operating base of the economy. It supports schools, clinics, small businesses, irrigation, commercial farming, cold storage, local processing, digital services and manufacturing. As more households and businesses connect, the system needs not only more access points but also reliable generation, transmission and supply planning behind them.

For Aminex investors, the relevance is therefore broad but important. Tanzania’s expanding electricity access adds weight to the argument that domestic energy demand is structural, not temporary.

Why Gas Still Matters

Electrification does not mean gas alone. Tanzania’s power mix includes hydro, gas and other sources, and the country is also pursuing wider grid expansion and regional interconnection. But gas remains a major part of the system because it provides dispatchable power, supports grid reliability and can complement hydro when water conditions or demand patterns change.

EWURA’s March 2026 electricity update shows natural gas contributing 31.85% of Tanzania’s generation mix, while gross electricity demand reached 2,508 MW, up 6.37% from the previous year. That makes gas a major part of the present system, not just a future possibility.

This is important for Ntorya because the field is being developed into a market where electricity demand is already growing and access is expanding. First gas through Madimba would not be entering a stagnant system. It would be entering a country that is actively adding connections, widening its power base and trying to support industrial growth.

The Ntorya story should therefore be seen as part of a wider energy-access and domestic-demand picture. Gas is not the only answer, but it is one of the practical fuels Tanzania can use to support reliable power and industrial expansion.

From Access to Industrial Growth

Electricity access is the first stage. What follows is often more important for long-term energy demand.

Once homes, farms, clinics, schools and small enterprises are connected, the next step is productive use. Power supports irrigation, refrigeration, workshops, milling, agro-processing, telecommunications, transport services and local industry. That is where electrification begins to feed wider economic activity.

This is also where gas demand becomes more relevant. A larger connected population increases baseline electricity needs, while industrialisation adds heavier and more concentrated demand. Fertiliser, cement, manufacturing, CNG transport, mining services and agro-processing all require reliable energy. Some need electricity; others may use gas directly.

For Aminex investors, that is the larger point. Tanzania’s gas strategy is not only about selling molecules into a pipe. It is about supplying a growing energy system that is trying to convert access into economic activity.

Why This Supports the Ntorya Case

Ntorya’s immediate milestone remains first gas. The key near-term steps are still pipeline completion, NT-2 hook-up, CH-1 drilling, NT-1 workover and commercial production through Madimba.

The Mission 300 numbers do not change those milestones. They do, however, add another layer to the demand backdrop. A country connecting millions of people to electricity at an accelerated pace will need reliable generation and a stronger domestic energy platform.

That is where Ntorya may matter. The field is being connected into Tanzania’s southern gas system at the same time as national electricity access, industrial demand and energy security are moving up the agenda. If domestic gas demand continues to grow, scalable fields with a route to market become increasingly important.

This does not make electrification a direct contract for Aminex. It does make it part of the same investment context. The more Tanzania expands access, industry and productive power use, the stronger the long-term case becomes for domestic gas supply.

The Investor Takeaway

Tanzania’s electrification surge is not a standalone Aminex catalyst, but it is a useful demand signal. It shows a country expanding its energy system quickly, connecting millions of people and building the base for broader economic activity.

For Ntorya, the immediate focus remains execution: complete the pipeline, bring NT-2 into production, drill CH-1, work over NT-1 and move into first gas sales. But those milestones sit within a larger national story. Tanzania is not only building supply infrastructure; it is also expanding the number of people and businesses that can use energy.

That is why the Mission 300 data belongs in the Aminex demand conversation. It reinforces the idea that Tanzania’s domestic gas market is being shaped by more than one project. Power access, industrialisation, fertiliser, transport fuel and regional energy links all point in the same direction: Tanzania’s need for reliable domestic energy is growing.

For Aminex shareholders, that is the significance. Ntorya is moving toward first gas in a country where the demand case is becoming broader, clearer and more strategic.

Contributing Author: Andrew Eldridge,

Source basis: Punch reports that Tanzania leads the Mission 300 tracked country list with 7.5 million people connected to electricity, ahead of Ethiopia and Nigeria. The World Bank says Tanzania’s 7.5 million connections represent a five-fold increase in the country’s previous average annual pace of electrification, and that Mission 300 has connected more than 50 million people across Africa toward a 300 million target by 2030. EWURA’s March 2026 electricity update reports Tanzania gross electricity demand at 2,508.19 MW, up 6.37%, and natural gas contributing 31.85% of the generation mix.

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