Key Facts
—What. Tanzania’s deputy energy minister met two Chinese companies in Dar es Salaam on Friday 23 October 2026.
—Gas pipeline. Kwala Industries is working on a gas line from Kinyerezi in Dar es Salaam to Chalinze.
—Power plant. The state utility is in talks to allocate 200 megawatts to a Chinese-backed plant in Ruvuma.
—US link. ExxonMobil is a partner in Tanzania’s planned US$42 billion liquefied natural gas project.
—Not yet known. Whether the LNG project will be signed; we found no public report of a signing.
Tanzania’s deputy energy minister met two Chinese companies in Dar es Salaam on Friday 23 October 2026 to discuss oil, gas and renewable power. The talks add Chinese money to an energy sector where US oil major ExxonMobil is already a partner in a planned US$42 billion gas export project.
What Was Discussed in Dar es Salaam
Deputy Energy Minister Salome Makamba met Liu Chang Xu, a director of ChuanQing Drilling Company, and Janson Huang, chairman of Kwala Industries, at the Ministry of Energy, according to Tanzania’s state-run Daily News. The talks covered oil and gas exploration, fuel infrastructure and renewable energy.
Makamba and Huang reviewed progress on a natural gas pipeline from Kinyerezi, on the edge of Dar es Salaam, to Chalinze in the Coast Region. The Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC), the state oil company, oversees the project.
A Chinese-Backed Power Plant in Ruvuma
Separately, Tanzania’s state power utility TANESCO is in advanced talks to allocate 200 megawatts to a Chinese-backed power project in the southern Ruvuma Region, according to Tanzanian outlet The Respondents. Energy Minister Juma Zuberi Homera spoke about the project on Friday at an industrial park in Ruvuma.
The investor is Hongwang Tanzania Holdings, part of China’s HWHG group, according to the same report. The plant is planned to produce more than 2,000 megawatts from coal and solar power, at an estimated cost of 7.8 trillion shillings (about US$3 billion at 2,629 shillings per US dollar, RT market data, 23 October).
The US$42 Billion LNG Project Still Waits
Tanzania’s planned liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant at Likong’o in the Lindi region is led by Equinor of Norway and Shell, with ExxonMobil, Pavilion Energy, Medco Energi and TPDC also named as partners. In January 2026 the government said commercial talks were basically concluded and expected a signing before June.
We found no public report that the host government agreement has been signed or that a final investment decision has been taken. Until that happens, the plant, which would turn offshore gas into exportable cargoes, remains a plan.
What It Means for US Readers
For US investors, ExxonMobil’s stake means American capital already sits in Tanzania’s biggest gas project. Chinese firms are now in talks on smaller pipelines and power plants around it.
The mix matters for contract terms, local-content rules and who supplies equipment. A delay in the LNG signing would leave Tanzania leaning more on these smaller deals for new energy supply.
What Is Not Known
No value has been published for the pipeline project or for any agreement with ChuanQing Drilling. The talks on 23 October were described as discussions, not signed contracts.
The Ruvuma figures come from a single report and have not been confirmed by TANESCO or the investor in public documents we could find. The timing of any LNG signing is also unannounced.
Sources
Daily News Tanzania · The Respondents · BOE Report, Reuters, 26 Jan 2026 · Daily News, Mnazi Bay
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief
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Frequently Asked Questions
Who did Tanzania’s deputy energy minister meet?
Salome Makamba met Liu Chang Xu of ChuanQing Drilling Company and Janson Huang of Kwala Industries on Friday 23 October 2026. The talks covered oil, gas and renewable energy.
What is the Kinyerezi to Chalinze pipeline?
It is a natural gas pipeline from Dar es Salaam to the Coast Region that Kwala Industries is working on. The state oil company TPDC oversees it.
What is Tanzania’s LNG project?
It is a planned US$42 billion plant at Likong’o in Lindi region, led by Equinor and Shell with ExxonMobil among the partners. We found no report that it has been signed.
Who is behind the Ruvuma power project?
The Respondents reports that Hongwang Tanzania Holdings, part of China’s HWHG group, is the investor. TANESCO is in talks to allocate it 200 megawatts.