By Spy Uganda
A delegation of Ugandan MPs flew to Tanzania to assess progress made in the energy sector in preparations to transport crude oil from Hoima in north Uganda to the port of Tanga via the East Africa Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP).
Felchesmi Mramba, Tanzania permanent secretary for Energy accompanied the visiting MPs led by the Uganda’s Energy and Minerals Minister, Peter Lokeris, to the Kinyerezi natural gas power generation project to start the familiarization tour. They visited various energy projects with Kinyerezi seen as a game changer.
The team also took an intense look at the transportation of crude oil from Tanzania to Zambia via the pipeline operated by Tanzania – Zambia Crude Oil Pipeline (TAZAMA).
The minister remarked that Tanzania has a 50-year of experience in crude oil transmission via the pipeline and is therefore the right place for the delegation to learn about the issue.
Meanwhile, Tanzania is engaged in preliminary discussions for the construction of a major natural gas pipeline from Mtwara to a reception point in Uganda that wasn’t clear from initial reports. The MPs thought it was the right time to pick up a few elements of Tanzania’s experience in view of all these projects, they said.
Minister Lokeris expressed gratitude to the host authorities for agreeing to the crude oil pipeline project, as underlining the amicable relations existing between the two neighbours.
The pipeline will help Uganda boost its economy, as it will incur little cost to transport the crude oil compared to loading it on trucks, apart from the time advantage, he added.
