Uganda has received the first batch of coated line pipes for the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) project, marking significant progress toward realizing its oil export ambitions. 

Nine trucks of the insulated pipes were delivered from a coating plant in Nzega, Tanzania to the main camp and pipe yard in Kyotera District by China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering Co. Ltd (CPP), the project’s construction contractor.  

The delivery of the pipes marks a milestone in the project’s timeline, as developers aim to export Uganda’s first crude oil by the end of 2025. 

Civil works on critical infrastructure, including pumping stations, camps, pipe yards, and storage facilities along the 1,443-kilometer pipeline, are progressing rapidly, with the pipeline expected to connect Uganda’s oil fields in the Albertine Basin to Tanzania’s Tanga port. 

Valued at $5 billion, the EACOP project is designed with a strong emphasis on environmental sustainability. As such, Uganda’s 296-kilometer section will be fully carbon-neutral, powered by renewable energy sources such as solar and hydroelectricity. 

Developers are exploring similar renewable energy solutions for Tanzania’s section. Uganda and Tanzania hold a 15% stake in the project, TotalEnergies controls 62%, and China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) Uganda Limited holds 8%.