Zambia is set to develop two major cross-border energy pipelines after the Cabinet gave the greenlight as a step toward diversifying the country’s fuel import routes and reducing dependence on a single supply corridor.
The projects will be implemented through public–private partnerships and include the Tanzania-Zambia Multi-Products Pipeline (TZMPP) and the Namibia-Zambia Refined Petroleum and Natural Gas Pipeline (NZPGP). Together, the initiatives are intended to create a multi-corridor fuel supply network that improves energy security and supports Zambia’s growing industrial economy.
The TZMPP will be constructed alongside the long-established TAZAMA pipeline, which has connected Tanzania’s port of Dar es Salaam to Ndola in Zambia since 1968. While the existing line mainly transports diesel, the proposed $2 billion pipeline will carry several refined petroleum products, including petrol, jet fuel, and kerosene. The new infrastructure is designed to handle around 7 million metric tons of fuel annually almost double the country’s projected fuel demand of about 3.7 million metric tons by 2030.
READ: Uganda, Tanzania proceed to procurement phase for 400kV power interconnector
TAZAMA Open Access Policy
Officials say the project also builds on the momentum created by the TAZAMA Open Access Policy introduced in April 2025. The policy allows multiple oil marketing companies to use the pipeline infrastructure, increasing competition in the sector and helping reduce fuel prices at the pump by roughly one-third.
A second pipeline corridor will extend westward from Namibia’s Atlantic port of Walvis Bay to Lusaka. The Namibia-Zambia Refined Petroleum and Natural Gas Pipeline will transport refined fuel products while also delivering up to 350 million cubic feet of natural gas per day. The gas supply is expected to support gas-to-power initiatives, particularly for Zambia’s energy-intensive copper mining operations.
The development of the Namibian corridor coincides with growing momentum in Namibia’s offshore oil industry. Energy companies are advancing major projects in the country’s waters, with TotalEnergies expected to decide on the development of the Venus oil field by mid-2026. Meanwhile, Portugal’s Galp continues appraisal work at the Mopane discovery, which is estimated to contain about 1.1 billion barrels of oil.
The approvals come at a time when large-scale infrastructure investment is accelerating across southern and eastern Africa. Tanzania is nearing completion of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline, while the Lobito Corridor project is attracting significant funding to improve transport links between Angola’s Atlantic ports and the Copperbelt mining region.
For Zambia, the planned pipelines represent more than new fuel transport routes. By connecting to both the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean, the country aims to establish a more resilient and competitive energy supply system capable of supporting its expanding mining and industrial sectors.
