Crude oil refinery needs the following:
1. Gas to run the refinery (Tanga best option- cheap gas is readily available in TZ, gas pipeline infrastructure is in place)
2. Large Land area for the refinery and its associated petrochemical industries near the port (Plenty of prime land near Tanga port)
3. Port for oil transportation (Tanga port oil terminal 23m depth, port basin area 23m deep)
4. Available logistics to the markets (Refined oil pipeline to Zambia, Malawi, DRC, and Zimbabwe; Gas pipeline from Mtwara and Kilwa to DSM; Rail to Rwanda, Burundi, and DRC)
5. Efficiency in land acquisition, decision-making, and implementation (Land is government property in Tz, hence a quick acquisition process, demonstrated capabilities in decision-making and implementation in recent projects, EACOP.
6. Security is very important for any investor (Tanga is far from the Somali Alshabaab militia)
All these odds are stacked up against Mombasa or Lamu. If you were a technocrat, which location would you choose? Jibu jipe mwenyewe.