EWURA
The Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority (EWURA) regulates Tanzania's downstream petroleum sector, which handled 403,638 metric tonnes of LPG imports in FY 2023/24 and operates terminals with a combined storage capacity of 1,637,222 cubic meters.
EWURA is the statutory regulator overseeing the downstream petroleum sub-sector in Mainland Tanzania, with responsibilities spanning licensing, quality standards, storage, pipelines, distribution, and retail operations.
The Authority also produces the country's principal performance datasets for the electricity sub-sector and the water utilities, and publishes the periodic fact sheets and sub-sector performance reports that anchor energy planning in Tanzania.
Mandate and Regulatory Scope
EWURA, the Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority, regulates the downstream petroleum sector in Tanzania.
Its remit covers licensing, quality standards, storage, pipelines, distribution, and retail operations across the petroleum value chain.[2]
Alongside EWURA, the Petroleum Bulk Procurement Agency (PBPA) manages the procurement, importation, and distribution of refined petroleum products in Tanzania's downstream sector.
EWURA's regulatory perimeter also extends to the electricity sub-sector and to water utilities, both of which are tracked through dedicated EWURA performance review reports.[1][3]
Downstream Petroleum Infrastructure
Petroleum products in Tanzania are stored in dedicated terminals with a total storage capacity of 1,637,222 cubic meters, served by three import ports under EWURA's regulatory oversight.[6]
The Mtwara port serves the southern regions of Mtwara, Lindi, and Ruvuma.
Tanga serves the northern regions of Tanga, Kilimanjaro, Arusha, and Manyara, while Dar es Salaam serves the remaining regions, including neighbouring landlocked countries.
From these terminals, petroleum products and LPG are transported by road tanker trucks to regional depots, retail petrol stations, industrial facilities, power generation plants, and airports across the country.
Road tankers also deliver products to neighbouring countries, including Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, the DRC, Malawi, and Zambia.
The Tanzania, Zambia Mafuta (TAZAMA) Pipeline supplements this distribution system by transporting low sulphur gas oil from Dar es Salaam to Ndola in Zambia.[5]
LPG Sub-Sector Performance, FY 2023/24
In the FY 2023/24, the liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) segment continued to grow, with LPG imports increasing by 38% compared to the preceding year to 403,638 metric tonnes.[4]
This growth is attributed to Tanzania's National Clean Cooking Energy Strategy, which aims to increase access to clean and sustainable cooking energy as an alternative to firewood, charcoal, and kerosene.
LPG is primarily imported through the ports of Dar es Salaam and Tanga.
Total LPG storage capacity increased to 17,700 metric tonnes in the FY 2023/24, and in 2025 construction began on a new USD 50 million LPG storage facility in Tanga City.
Electricity Sub-Sector Performance
EWURA tracks Tanzania's electricity generation mix, which consisted of hydropower (58.20%), natural gas (34.73%), liquid fuel (4.12%), coal (2.93%), biomass (2.68%), solar (0.23%), and wind (0.06%).[1]
Power plant availability was recorded at 73.25%, falling below the target of greater than 88%, while overall plant utilization was 31.98%.
On the network side, the high-voltage transmission grid reached 8,303.87 km of lines ranging from 66kV to 400kV, including 72 substations with a combined capacity of 10,226.7 MVA.
EWURA's reliability monitoring shows the System Average Interruption Frequency Index (SAIFI) at 1.1 incidents, within the target of fewer than 10 incidents, and the System Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI) at 0.3 hours, within the target of below 6.5 hours.
Unserved energy accounted for 0.46% of the total energy generated, safely within the target of less than 4.53%.
Regional Power Trade Oversight
EWURA's regulatory remit also supports Tanzania's growing role in regional power trading through high-voltage interconnector projects.
The country is already connected to Kenya and the Eastern Africa Power Pool (EAPP) through a 400kV double-circuit transmission line.
A further 400kV interconnection with Zambia and the Southern African Power Pool (SAPP) is under construction.
These interconnectors aim to enhance power system stability and strengthen regional energy security.
Policy and Institutional Framework
EWURA operates alongside the Ministry of Energy (MOE), the Ministry of Finance (MOF), the Petroleum Upstream Regulatory Authority (PURA) on the upstream side, and the Rural Energy Agency (REA), which implements government programs to promote sustainable energy solutions in rural areas, including electricity, LPG, and other clean energy sources for underserved communities.
The Power System Master Plan (PSMP) 2024 Update guides the evolution of Tanzania's power sector over the period 2024 to 2050.[7]
It aligns with key national priorities including Vision 2050, FYDP IV, the National Energy Compact, and Sustainable Development Goal 7, under which access to reliable and modern energy remains central to advancing industrialization and expanding public service delivery.
The National Clean Cooking Energy Strategy provides the policy backbone for the rapid LPG uptake captured in EWURA's downstream data.
Investment Opportunities
Petroleum storage expansion is a clearly signalled opportunity, with the existing 1,637,222 cubic meter terminal base complemented by the USD 50 million LPG storage facility under construction in Tanga City from 2025.
LPG distribution, bottling, and retail infrastructure benefits from 38% year-on-year import growth in FY 2023/24 and from the policy push under the National Clean Cooking Energy Strategy.
Cross-border petroleum logistics offers throughput potential into Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, the DRC, Malawi, and Zambia, supported by the TAZAMA Pipeline link from Dar es Salaam to Ndola.
Power generation investments can target the existing generation mix dominated by hydropower (58.20%) and natural gas (34.73%), with scope to lift plant availability above the current 73.25% toward the greater-than-88% regulatory target.
Transmission and interconnector projects, including the 400kV link under construction with Zambia and the SAPP, open opportunities tied to regional power trade alongside the existing EAPP connection.
Water utilities, also under EWURA's regulatory umbrella, are tracked through the Water Utilities Performance Review Report and offer concession and service-improvement angles aligned with the national water policy framework.[3]
Last Update: May 2026
References
- https://www.ewura.go.tz/uploads/documents/en-1771937532-Electricty%20Sub-Sector%20Performance%20Updates_Dec_2025.pdf (Guide reference #15)
- https://www.ewura.go.tz/uploads/documents/en-1770358313-EWURA%20FACT%20SHEET%20DECEMBER%202025.pdf (Guide reference #32)
- https://www.ewura.go.tz/uploads/documents/en-1743160797-Water%20Utilities%20Performance%20Review%20Report%202023-24%20Final.pdf (Guide reference #86)
- https://www.ewura.go.tz/uploads/documents/en-1744206990-Petroleum%20Sub-Sector%20Performance%20Report%20FY%202023-24.%20pdf.pdf (Guide reference #93)
- https://tazama.co.zm/ (Guide reference #94)
- https://www.ewura.go.tz/pages/petroleum-infrastructure (Guide reference #95)
- https://www.nishati.go.tz/uploads/documents/en-1758611412-POWER%20SYSTEM%20MASTER%20PLAN%202024.pdf (Guide reference #97)
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