KAMPALA, Uganda
Uganda on Monday received the first batch of coated line pipes for the East African Crude Oil Pipeline, which was delivered to the main camp and pipe yard in Kyotera District, signalling the project developers’ intent to fast track the laying and construction of the cross-border pipeline in both Uganda and Tanzania.
China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering Co. Ltd (CPP), the construction
contractor for Eacop, received nine trucks of insulated line pipe from the
coating plant in Nzenga, Tabora Region, Tanzania.
With
the arrival of the insulated line pipes in Uganda, CPP is expected to start
laying of the pipeline in Uganda as the developers race against time to export
the first barrels of crude oil by the end of next year, a statement from Eacop
Ltd said.
“The
project remains on track to meet its construction and operational timelines,
with a continued focus on safety, environmental sustainability, and local
community engagement,” it said.
“This
is a major landmark in the construction of the Eacop and a clear sign of the
progress of the project. Government and its partners are committed to ensuring
that all developments are completed in the most environmentally responsible and
sustainable manner,” said Ali Ssekatawa, Director of Legal and Corporate
Affairs at the Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAU).
He
added that civil works have already advanced on the pumping stations, main
camps, pipe yards and storage facilities along the 1,443-kilometre pipeline,
which will link oil fields in the Albertine Basin in Uganda to the Tanga port
in Tanzania.
To date, the project has received 800 kilometres of line pipes, which
are currently being coated and insulated at the Nzega Coating Yard.
To
mitigate climate change risks, the project will deploy renewable energy for all
pumping, heating, monitoring and storage operations, with the 296km section in
Uganda to be fully carbon neutral, powered entirely by 80MW of solar and
hydroelectric energy, while efforts are underway to develop similar renewable
capacity on the Tanzanian side.
The
project, estimated to cost $5 billion, is being developed by the Eacop Company,
with Uganda and Tanzania as shareholders, each holding a 15 percent stake,
while French supermajor TotalEnergies holds 62 percent and China National
Offshore Oil Corporation Uganda Limited owns eight percent.
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