The third pumping station on the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) in Tanzania’s Kagera Region is now 88% complete, bringing the $5 billion project one step closer to delivering Uganda’s first crude oil exports to international markets.

The facility, designated PS3 and located in Muleba District, is expected to be ready by the end of August or early September 2026. It is the first pumping station along the EACOP route to be situated in Tanzania and plays a critical role in maintaining the pressure needed to move crude oil safely and efficiently through the pipeline system.

“The major construction works have been completed, and what remains are finishing works and system testing,” said Derick Moshi, Director of Planning and Investment at the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC), during an inspection of the facility on August 7, 2026.

Once operational, the 1,443-kilometer heated pipeline will transport crude oil from Uganda’s Hoima region to the Tanzanian port of Tanga on the Indian Ocean. It will be the world’s longest heated crude oil pipeline, a design necessity driven by the waxy nature of Uganda’s crude.

The pipeline is designed to carry 216,000 barrels of oil per day, with the capacity to ramp up to 246,000 barrels.

The project is developed by a consortium led by TotalEnergies, which holds a 62% stake, alongside China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC) with 8%, and the Uganda National Oil Company and TPDC each holding 15%.

EACOP is projected to generate approximately $3.5 billion in income for Tanzania over 25 years and create more than 18,000 jobs across various skill levels and sectors.

“The project is providing Tanzanian professionals with an opportunity to gain practical experience in implementing large-scale energy infrastructure,” Moshi said. “It is a learning platform where cooperation between the government and private-sector partners is facilitating knowledge transfer, skills development and the strengthening of local technical capacity.”

The pipeline faces legal, environmental and social challenges from critics who have raised concerns about its ecological and climate impacts.

Nevertheless, construction continues to advance. In December 2023, project organizers announced that the first 100 kilometers of pipes had been transported to Tanzania’s Dar es Salaam port.

Overall project completion has reached 91%, with the entire pipeline already welded, according to EACOP Deputy Managing Director John Bosco Habumugisha. Uganda expects to achieve first oil production before the end of 2026.