The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | JULIUS BUSINGE | On March 26, a significant stride was made in the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) project with the commissioning of a crucial coating plant located in Sojo, Nzege, in Tanzania’s Tabora Region. The ceremony was graced by Ruth Nankabirwa, Uganda’s Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, and Doto Biteko, her Tanzanian counterpart and Deputy Prime Minister of Tanzania.
This newly launched facility is set to play a pivotal role in the thermal insulation and coating of oil pipelines before their dispatch to various Main Camps and Pipe Yards (MCYP) along the pipeline’s route, preparing them for the construction phase of the EACOP.
Nankabirwa lauded the EACOP for its steadfast dedication to advancing the EACOP project, following the Final Investment Decision (FID) made in February 2022 for both the upstream projects and the pipeline itself. Based on the design, all the project pipes are to be fitted with aluminum raceways, an insulation layer of Polyurethane foam (PUF), an anti-diffusion barrier, and a coating of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) to ensure maximum durability and safety of the pipeline across its extensive 1,443KM stretch. “The commissioning of this plant is a true testament that the project is on course and at a point of no return,” she said, adding that works on the upstream projects in Uganda – Tilenga and Kingfisher Development Areas – are also progressing well, with four drilling rigs already developing wells and constructing an industrial area to house the Central Processing Facilities and their auxiliary installations ongoing.
Biteko revealed that compensation of the Project Affected Persons (PAPs) has progressed well thus far, with works for the construction of the four tank Main Storage Terminals at Chongoleani, Tanga all currently underway. In a parallel development, EACOP and the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) concluded three significant Land Use and Ports Agreements. These include a Lease Agreement for land allocated for the Main Storage Terminal, a Marine Facility Agreement, and a Marine Use Agreement, marking critical steps forward in the project’s infrastructure development.
The TIS Plant receives all line pipes to be used in #Tanzania and #Uganda. The TIS Plant will apply thermal insulation to all 86,000-line pipe joints prior to their dispatch and installation along the route from Uganda to Tanzania. pic.twitter.com/QWD48BJljF
— Ruth Nankabirwa Ssentamu (@NankabirwaRS) March 26, 2024
