EACOP project hits 92.7 percent completion as Tanga expects first drop of oil in early 2027
DODOMA: THE East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) project has reached 92.7 per cent completion, with the first drop of crude oil expected to reach a pumping station in Uganda in December 2026 before arriving at Chongoleani in Tanga in February 2027.
Speaking to media outlets jin Dodoma today, September 21, 2026, on the implementation of the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) activities for the 2025/26 financial year and plans for 2026/27, TPDC Managing Director, Mussa Makame, said the Tanzanian Government, through TPDC, owns a 15 per cent stake in the project.
The pipeline transports crude oil from Hoima in Uganda to Chongoleani in Tanga, Tanzania.
Makame said the project had created 10,000 jobs during the construction phase, with 7,500 jobs, equivalent to 75 per cent, benefiting Tanzanians.
He added that more than 200 Tanzanian companies had been awarded contracts to supply goods and services worth more than 1.325tri/-.
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According to Makame, implementation of the EACOP project has enabled the government to collect more than 100bn/- through taxes, fees, duties and various levies.
He said the project was also implementing corporate social responsibility initiatives in water, health, education and environmental sectors, including a water project worth approximately 4.4bn/- that is benefiting more than 26,000 people.
Makame said once the crude oil reaches Chongoleani in Tanga in February 2027, it will be stored in four tanks with a combined capacity of two million barrels.
Loading of the first consignment of crude oil onto a tanker is expected to begin in March 2027, marking the completion of the construction phase and the start of the project’s operational phase.
