Uganda has received its first batch of line pipes for the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP). The shipment arrived on Monday at the pipe yard in Kyotera District, following Tanzania’s earlier receipt of its initial batch for the joint project.
This delivery of coated line pipes signals Uganda’s commitment to meeting the EACOP’s target date for full operations in 2026.
According to the East African, the coating factory in Nzega, located in Tanzania’s Tabora Region, dispatched nine trucks of insulated line pipes to China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering Co. Ltd (CPP), the contractor for EACOP construction.
In a statement, EACOP Ltd and CPP noted that the delivery of these insulated line pipes would expedite the completion of the project as developers aim to export the first barrels of crude oil by the end of next year.
“The project remains on track to meet its construction and operational timelines, with a continued focus on safety, environmental sustainability, and local community engagement,” the statement emphasized.
Ali Ssekatawa, Director of Legal and Corporate Affairs at the Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU), remarked that all efforts are being made to ensure continuous progress on the project.
“This is a major milestone in the construction of EACOP and a clear indicator of our progress. The government and its partners are committed to ensuring that all developments are completed in an environmentally responsible and sustainable manner,” he stated.
Ssekatawa also highlighted that civil works on the pumping stations, major camps, pipe yards, and storage facilities along the 1,443-kilometer pipeline—connecting oil reserves in Uganda’s Albertine Basin to Tanzania’s Tanga port—are currently underway.
To date, the project has received 800 kilometers of line pipes, which are being coated and insulated at the Nzega Coating Yard.
In December 2023, project organizers announced that the first 100 kilometers of pipes had been delivered to the Dar port in Tanzania, marking the commencement of the joint oil project between Uganda and Tanzania.
Project coordinator Mr. Msovu indicated that pipe installation is expected to begin in April 2024, with completion anticipated by 2025.
“We anticipate that the project will formally start operations of transporting oil from Uganda to Tanzania by early 2026,” Mr. Msovu stated.
He also noted that approximately 5,000 pipes have already been installed as large-scale construction is set to begin.
“The project is now entering its construction phase, with both Uganda and Tanzania ensuring that it is carried out as intended,” he added.
The recently delivered pipes have a maximum length of 100 kilometers, and plans are in place to transport them from Dar es Salaam to Tabora, the project’s center, for distribution to other locations.
