Government hires Danish firm to study oil pipeline route
Explorers test an oil well in the Albertine Graben. The pipeline is expected to transport oil from Hoima to a distribution terminal in Buloba, Wakiso District. FILE PHOTO.
What you need to know:
Completed. The study, government says, will be completed within one year.
Kampala. Government has hired Ramboll Group, a consulting engineering company from Denmark, to conduct “an early phase” detailed route and environmental study for an oil pipeline that will run from the Albertine Graben - Hoima to Buloba in Wakiso District.
The pipeline will transport oil from a yet to be constructed refinery to a distribution terminal in Buloba. The pipeline length is estimated to be 210 kms long.
Ramboll, among others, will conduct an environmental baseline survey and a detailed pipeline routing including a utility corridor study.
Mr Robert Kasande, the refinery project manager at the Petroleum Directorate confirmed the deal yesterday, saying: “…it will take about a year to complete.”
Ramboll runs multi-disciplinary engineering, design and consultancy activities in energy, telecommunications, oil and gas, worldwide, notably in Saudi Arabia, Italy, Botswana, United States, Mexico, among other countries.
According to Ramboll, the utility corridor of about 110 metres is required for construction of vital infrastructure comprising refined petroleum products pipeline, information and communication technology cables, a dual-carriage highway, and power transmission lines between Hoima and Kampala.
The Petroleum Directorate under the Ministry of Energy last year, put a request for a detailed pipeline routing study and environmental baseline survey for the pipeline. The ministry, however is yet to pronounce itself on a detailed Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) for the project affected persons.
The government early this year awarded the refinery tender to RT Global Resources, a consortium led by Russia’s Rostec.
Completed works
Work done. A feasibility study for the distribution and storage facilities of the refined petroleum products was completed in 2012 and recommended a 205km long, 10inch diameter pipeline.
