In Uganda, the Energy Minister, Irene Muloni, has announced that the building of the Uganda-Tanzania crude oil export pipeline will start in January 2017.

The Minister said that the two countries have decided to accelerate the project which will cover 1,443 km, following talks between the Ugandan and Tanzanian delegations in Hoima Town, Uganda.

The pipeline has been estimated to cost $3.55bn, and it is expected to be completed by 2020.

Land acquisition assessments, surveys, environmental and social impact studies have been organized to be carried out prior to the commencement of construction works.

“Every activity in respect to the project will be done in a fast tracking mode. We have agreed to meet in Tanga (Tanzania) in October this year to launch the front-end-engineering-design for the project,” Muloni said.

She added that the possible investors to fund the project have been contacted and a pipeline company will be established so Uganda, Tanzania and other interested East African states will have interests in it.

Uganda and Tanzania’s political leaders and technocrats have decided to name the pipeline project the “East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP)”, Further Africa reports.

Anita Fatunji