The East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP)<\/a>, which runs 1,443 kilometres from Uganda\u2019s Albertine Graben to the Indian Ocean port of Tanga in Tanzania, was about 75% complete as of the end of December 2025, according to officials from both countries.<\/p>\nThat estimate aligns with figures released earlier by Uganda\u2019s Petroleum Authority, which said nearly three-quarters of the $5 billion project had been completed by November last year, with all pipeline segments already laid and $3.3 billion invested.<\/p>\n
Ernest Rubondo, chief executive of the Uganda Petroleum Authority, has described EACOP as \u201cthe backbone of Uganda\u2019s crude oil exports and a key driver for economic transformation,\u201d highlighting its central role in the country\u2019s long-term energy strategy.<\/p>\n
Construction enters final phase<\/p>\n
Energy ministers from Uganda and Tanzania reaffirmed their commitment to the project during a high-level stakeholder meeting in Dar es Salaam on January 5, where they reviewed progress on pipeline construction, above-ground installations and the marine export terminal at Tanga.<\/p>\n
Officials said construction activities are now at peak levels, with start-up readiness targeted for July 31, 2026.<\/p>\n
Uganda\u2019s delegation was led by Energy Minister Ruth Nankabirwa, alongside officials from the Uganda National Oil Company and the National Petroleum Council.<\/p>\n
Tanzania\u2019s Energy Minister Deogratius Ndejembi led his country\u2019s delegation, which included representatives from the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation and energy regulator Ewura.<\/p>\n
A regional export corridor<\/p>\n
Once operational, EACOP will be the world\u2019s longest heated crude oil pipeline, designed to transport Uganda\u2019s waxy crude at around 50 degrees Celsius.<\/p>\n
At full capacity, the pipeline is expected to carry up to 230,000 barrels of oil per day to Tanga, where it will be loaded onto tankers for export.<\/p>\n
For Uganda, the pipeline is key to unlocking its estimated 6.5 billion barrels of crude reserves and establishing itself as a new oil producer in Africa.<\/p>\n
The project\u2019s success, however, will depend on global oil prices and the timely completion of related upstream infrastructure.<\/p>\n
Economic impact beyond Uganda<\/p>\n
The pipeline\u2019s benefits extend beyond Uganda\u2019s borders. For Tanzania, EACOP is shaping up as an economic and logistical lifeline.<\/p>\n
Authorities say the project has already generated about 50 billion Tanzanian shillings ($19.5 million) in revenue through development levies, taxes and construction-related charges.<\/p>\n
Tanzania\u2019s EACOP project coordinator, Asiadi Mrutu, has said the project has so far employed about 1,200 Tanzanians, including workers from communities around the Chongoleani terminal in Tanga, reinforcing Tanzania\u2019s role as a regional energy transit hub.<\/p>\n
Climate concerns and long-term stakes<\/p>\n
Despite sustained criticism from environmental and human rights groups, Ugandan and Tanzanian officials argue that EACOP reflects a strategic push for infrastructure-led growth and regional integration.<\/p>\n
They say the pipeline\u2019s developers, including TotalEnergies and China National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC), have incorporated measures aimed at managing emissions, including plans to power most of the pipeline\u2019s operations with solar energy.<\/p>\n
For East Africa, EACOP is a key project that could boost economic growth, create jobs, and strengthen regional trade while addressing energy and environmental challenges.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Uganda and Tanzania are launching crude oil exports through the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), aiming to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":20160,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[58],"tags":[153],"class_list":{"0":"post-20159","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-uganda","8":"tag-uganda"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20159","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20159"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20159\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/20160"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20159"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20159"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/africa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20159"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![\"East](\"https:\/\/africa.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/01\/East-African-Pipeline-1.avif\")
East Africa\u2019s $5bn oil pipeline, the world\u2019s longest heated crude line, set to begin exports by October<\/p>\n