Arusha to export soda-ash from Engaruka through Tanga port

The proposed soda ash extraction industry to be established in Engaruka Ward of Monduli District, from 2027, will now be directly linked to the port of Tanzania by rail.

The country, according to officials here, plans to start harvesting at least 1 million tons of the minerals per year and export the same through the Tanga Port which is already linked by rail from Arusha.

Presenting a paper during the recently held Nature Tanzania’s special symposium on the protection of Lake Natron, taking place in Arusha, the Director of Heavy Industries from the National Development Company (NDC) Dr Yohana Mtoni said the government has already floated tenders for firms to start investing in Soda-ash mining at Engaruka.

The Invitation for project proposal for the development of Engaruka Soda ash project has been floated under joint venture arrangement with the NDC through Public Private Partnership (PPP).

“Tanzania has shifted all the Soda-ash extracting activities from Natron, in order to save the Lake and its surrounding wetlands, moving them to Engaruka in Monduli, located 58 kilometers away from the flamingo breeding site,” explained Dr Mtoni.

But other than protecting Lake Natron, the government had also conducted feasibility studies at Engaruka escarpments and discovered that there are more than 3.8 billion cubic meters of soda ash reserves in the area.

In response to that, Joshua Mollel, the leader of the consortium of nine villages surrounding Lake Natron said they were happy that now the project has been moved to Engaruka and already showing potential, including job creation for the local youth.

“At least now Lake Natron will be saved from invasive human activities so that the entire area will be dedicated to conservation and tourism,” he added.

Latest studies have revealed that Engaruka area harbors the largest soda ash reserves in the world, such that if Tanzania would be extracting an average of 1 million tons of the minerals per year, as planned, then they will last for over 500 years.

In other words, Tanzania will be essentially mining soda ash minerals in Monduli until 2530.

Tanzania is spending USD 121 million, equivalent to over 320 billion/- every year, to import processed soda ash for the country’s industrial usage.

But Tanzania, according to experts, has enough soda ash reserves to supply the entire East and Central African countries for over half-a-century and still be left with surplus minerals for the country to export overseas.

Now with the establishment of the factories at Engaruka, the venture will solve the problem once and for all, in addition to creating jobs for over 5000 people, among them 1000 direct employment sustainable for over 500 years.

It will also yield billions of dollars in terms of foreign exchange.