Uganda gets support from ACP-EU for East African crude oil pipeline

The  government of Uganda  has secured support from the African, Caribbean, Pacific -European Union (ACP-EU) for proceeding with the East African crude oil pipeline project (EACOP), a 1,443km long pipeline to be laid between Uganda and Tanzania.

The support came through a favourable vote at the ACP-EU joint parliamentary assembly sitting in Maputo, Mozambique.

The East African crude oil pipeline project will procure crude oil from Uganda’s oil fields in Kabaale in Hoima district and transport them to the Chongoleani peninsula near the Tanzanian port of Tanga. After reaching Tanzania, the crude oil is shipped for refining abroad.

The Project is expected to create thousands of employment opportunities for East Africans and boost revenue for the two countries.

According to the Ugandan Parliament, The Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa  led the country’s delegation to the Maputo meeting where he convinced the ACP-EU joint parliamentary assembly about the project.

Tayebwa is said to have got acceptance from the members for allowing a “just transition to renewable energy” as opposed to the abrupt stopping of explorations, particularly by the global south.

In a statement, Tayebwa termed the amendment, saying: “A big win for Uganda; the Ugandan delegation burnt the midnight candle to get to this achievement.”

The ACP-EU had earlier taken a hard stance against new oil fields. However, it is said to have adjusted its stance and acknowledged the significance of fair phasing out and gradual transition from fossil fuels to renewable energy.

Furthermore, the ACP-EU stressed that to achieve the target of 1.5°C, drastic scaling up of renewable energy is needed along with backing a global just transition.

The position taken by the ACP-EU contests the previous stance of the EU Parliament, which had passed a resolution to completely defeat the concept of the East African crude oil pipeline project.

Expected to have a transportation capacity of 216,000 barrels of crude oil per day, the East African crude oil pipeline will traverse 296km in Uganda, and 1,149km in Tanzania.