Kapuulya Musomba Tanzania Petroleum Development Corp. (TDPC) managing director : courtesy photo
The Tanzania Petroleum Development Corp. (TDPC) managing director, Kapuulya Musomba, has confirmed that Uganda’s natural-gas pipeline will start in 2021.
In an interview at the oil and gas conference, Musomba stressed that 29 companies are interested in conducting a feasibility study and constructing the pipeline that will pump gas to iron and steel factories in western Uganda.
“We expect the feasibility study to be concluded by June next year,” he said, adding that funding will be sought in 2019 and 2020 “and then construction will start in 2021.”
An agreement for the construction of the pipeline had already been signed between Tanzania and Uganda.
The pipeline is demarcated to start in Dar es Salaam, pass through Tanga port on the Indian Ocean and Mwanza, a port city on Lake Victoria and then to Uganda.
The two nations plan a separate pipeline to transport Uganda’s crude
to Tanga port; Tanzania is positioning itself to become an energy hub within a decade and plans to supply gas, of which it has about 57 trillion ft3 of proven reserves, to other east African nations.
“About 10 to 15 regions in East Africa will benefit from the pipeline that will also serve as a catalyst for oil and gas exploration,” Musomba said.
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