The first set of coated pipes for the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) project has arrived  at the Main Camp and Pipe Yard (MCPY) of the China Petroleum Pipeline Engineering Co. Ltd, in Uganda’s Kyotera District.

The pipes were trucked from the coating and insulating plant in Tanzania, the southeastern neighbour.

They will be welded and buried along the right of way to transport of Uganda’s crude oil, and their delivery demonstrates the continued progress of the project. CPPEC is the construction contractor.

The press release by EACOP Ltd, did not provide details of the exact number of pipes that were delivered on September 30, 2024.

The insulated line pipes will be distributed to multiple designated storage sites along the 1,443-kilometer-long crude oil pipeline that will connect Albertine oil fields in Uganda to the Tanga port in Tanzania.

The insulation on these pipes enables the crude oil to be transported to be kept warm and the external environment to be kept cool, rather like a thermos flask.

With the arrival of the insulated line pipes in Uganda, the pipelay Contractor CPP will shortly commence laying of the EACOP pipeline in Uganda. 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 construction of the EACOP Pipeline in combination with the Tilenga and Kingfisher projects will benefit the economies of Uganda and Tanzania include tax revenues for the two Host Governments, job creation, national content, new infrastructure, logistics, skills and technology transfer and enhancement of the trade corridor between Uganda and Tanzania.