Kigali, Rwanda – Uganda and Tanzania have confirmed that the first shipments of crude oil from Uganda’s oilfields will be exported in October this year, marking a major milestone for the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), one of the region’s most ambitious energy infrastructure projects.
By the end of December 2025, construction of the pipeline and its related facilities had reached 79 percent completion, reflecting steady progress despite persistent scrutiny from environmental and rights groups.
The update was announced on January 5 during a high-level stakeholder meeting held in Dar es Salaam, where energy Ministers from both countries assessed technical progress and coordination ahead of Uganda’s long-awaited entry into the global oil market.
The discussions focused on the construction of the 1,443-kilometre pipeline, above-ground installations, the marine export terminal in Tanga, and a network of supporting infrastructure required for commercial operations.
Officials overseeing the project said construction activities are currently at peak levels and remain on schedule to achieve startup readiness by July 31, 2026.
This timeline is critical for aligning pipeline operations with upstream oil production from Uganda’s Tilenga and Kingfisher fields in the Lake Albert basin.
Uganda’s delegation to the meeting was led by Energy Minister Ruth Nankabirwa and included senior officials from the Ministry of Energy, the Uganda National Oil Company, the National Petroleum Council, and EACOP Ltd, the company implementing the pipeline.
Tanzania’s Energy Minister, Deogratius Ndejembi, led his country’s team, which comprised officials from the Ministry of Energy, the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation, and the Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority.
Once operational, EACOP will transport Uganda’s waxy crude oil from the Lake Albert region to the Chongoleani Peninsula near the Port of Tanga, where it will be loaded onto tankers for export.
The pipeline is the longest heated crude oil pipeline in the world, operating at approximately 50 degrees Celsius to maintain the oil’s flow. At peak capacity, it is expected to carry up to 230,000 barrels of crude oil per day.
The project has faced sustained opposition from environmental and human rights organizations, which argue that it poses climate risks and has resulted in the displacement of tens of thousands of people along its route.
Ugandan authorities have acknowledged these concerns but maintain that strong political commitment and close cooperation between Kampala and Dodoma have been instrumental in securing financing and keeping construction on track.
Project partners TotalEnergies and China National Offshore Oil Company (CNOOC) have also defended the development, saying the pipeline and associated upstream projects were designed with emissions management in mind.
They plan to meet about 80 percent of EACOP’s electricity needs through solar power installations along the route, with the remainder supplied from national grids rather than fossil fuel-based generation.
