HOIMA, Uganda — Uganda is set to earn additional revenue from the East African Crude Oil Pipeline project by exporting electricity to power the facility’s operations in both Uganda and Tanzania.
The electricity will be used to run pumping stations, manage terminal operations and maintain the temperature of the crude oil as it travels through the 1,443-kilometer insulated pipeline.
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Sources familiar with the project explained that power will be primarily sourced from the Ugandan grid. This strategy is intended to reduce carbon emissions that would have been generated if the pipeline relied on power produced directly from crude oil.
While Uganda will provide the bulk of the energy, a small portion will be sourced from Tanzania. Backup generation will also be available from upstream oil fields in Uganda and EACOP generators in Tanzania, while a solar farm will complement electrical production at the marine terminal.
The development comes as the project enters a peak period of civil works. Engineers have begun testing the pumps that will push the oil from Pump Station 1 in Hoima to the Tanga port in Tanzania.
Energy Minister Ruth Nankabirwa is currently on a five-day fact-finding visit to construction sites in Tanzania to assess the readiness of these facilities. During her visit, she emphasized the strategic role of the pipeline in strengthening regional energy trade.
According to a project status report, the overall EACOP project was 79 percent complete as of Dec. 31, 2025. The pipeline is designed to have a peak capacity of 246,000 barrels of crude oil per day.
In addition to the oil pipeline, high-voltage electrical cables and a fiber-optic cable are being buried along the same right of way. Of the total length, 296 kilometers of the pipeline will be hosted in Uganda, while Tanzania will host 1,147 kilometers.
The project is targeting a startup date of July 31, 2026. The first oil tanker is expected to load at the Tanga terminal in October 2026, following the completion of pipeline filling and final commissioning tests.
Commissioning activities are being led by a joint venture between the United Kingdom-based Kent Energies and the Ugandan firm Inspecta Africa. These firms will oversee technical and safety tests at pump stations in both countries through early 2025.
The 24-inch pipeline will be buried 1 meter underground for its entire length. In Uganda, it traverses 10 districts, including Hoima, Kikuube, Kakumiro, Kyankwanzi, Mubende, Gomba, Sembabule, Lwengo, Kyotera and Rakai.
