Design and Construction

The Construction Sequence

Construction will begin after land access is achieved.  The first visible signs are the construction of temporary facilities required prior to the main construction phase starting.  This includes the Coating Plant located at the pipeline’s midpoint and the 16 Main Camps and Piping Yards (MCPYs) located roughly every 100 km along the right of way

The main construction sequence will comprise of:

1. Construction of the Pipeline

18 metre pipe lengths will be transported from the coast to the Coating Yard in order to install the thermal insulation and external protective coating. Insulated pipe will then be transported from the Coating Yard to the MCPYs.

From the MCPYs the pipeline will then be strung out along the cleared right of way and then the following sequence followed:

  • right of way opening including clearing and topsoil storage 
  • stringing and welding of the pipeline,
  • in field final coating protection and insulation applied at the site of each weld
  • and then the welded pipeline will be lowered in a pre-dug trench. At some specific crossing, instead of trenching, auger boring will be used (to cross roads) or horizontal directional drilling will be used (to cross major rivers)
  • Fibre-optic cable laid on top of the buried pipeline
  • High voltage electrical cables will be buried in a separate trench along the right of way
  • the trench will then be back filled, the surface topsoil reinstated and the surface vegetation restore

2. Construction of the Above Ground Facilities

Above Ground Installations (AGIs) will also be built along the pipeline These includes;

  • Pumping Station N°1 & Pumping Station N°2 in Uganda
  • Pumping Station N°3, 4, 5 & 6 in Tanzania, including Power Generation in some of the pumping stations.
  •  Pressure Release Station N°1 & N°2 in Tanzania (required to cope with hydrostatic pressure and in case of shutdown)

Other permanent Facilities will be constructed, or work will be performed, such as

  • Main Block Valves stations, required to limit the inventory, and isolate when require dedicated pipeline section. These stations are powered with Solar Energy. The valves are located underground.
  • Electric substations to manage the heating of the pipeline.
  • New or upgraded permanent Access roads

3. Construction of the Marine Terminal and the Jetty

The Marine & Storage Terminal (MST) is considered as an Above Ground Installation (AGI). The crude oil, transported by the pipeline will be stored in the Terminal, located on Chongoleani in Tanga bay, in 4 tanks of 500,000 bbl. each. The Crude Oil will be exported via a 2 km long jetty where Tankers can safely be moored and access with sufficient water depth.

4. Solar Farms

Photovoltaic plants and batteries are under study to compensate EACOP Power Generation CO2 emissions by 30% in Tanzania. Areas in the Marine & Storage Terminal, as well as the surface of Main Camps & Production Yard (MCPY) had been screened. The Solar Farm(s) will be in service within one year after the Start-Up of the Pipeline operations.

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