The pipeline project stretches from Kabaale Industrial Park in the Hoima district of Uganda to the Chongoleani peninsula near the Tanga Port in Tanzania

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The export system runs 296km in Uganda and 1,147km in Tanzania. (Credit: PublicDomainPictures from Pixabay)

The Uganda National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has approved the Environment and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) certificate for the $3.5bn East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) Project.

The 1,443km crude oil export pipeline project, which is being developed by a joint venture between Total (66.7%) and CNOOC (33.3%), stretches from the Kabaale Industrial Park in the Hoima district of Uganda to the Chongoleani peninsula near the Tanga Port in Tanzania.

The export system, which runs 296km in Uganda and 1,147km in Tanzania, comprises an insulated buried pipeline, and a marine export terminal. It also includes six pumping stations including two in Uganda and four in Tanzania.

Tanzanian section of pipeline was approved in 2019

For the pipeline, the ESIA studies were conducted between 2017 and 2018. The first project report was submitted for review to NEMA in January 2019, while the final Environment Impact Assessment Report was submitted to NEMA in August this year.

The certificate of approval awarded by NEMA is specific to the Ugandan section of the project.

The Tanzanian section of the pipeline was approved in November 2019.

In Uganda, the pipeline will start near Hoima, close to Lake Albert, and traversing 10 districts and 25 sub-counties to the Tanzanian border between Masaka and Bukoba.

The Tanzanian section of the pipeline will run from the Uganda-Tanzania border and traverse eight regions and 25 districts to terminate at a peninsula north of Tanga in Tanzania.

NEMA stated: “The East African Crude Oil Pipeline will unlock East Africa’s Potential by attracting investors to explore opportunities in the region.

“The Project will yield substantial Foreign Direct Investment in Uganda and Tanzania during the construction phase.”