A group of Ugandan farmers on Tuesday filed a case in the UK High Court against the developer of a $5-billion oil pipeline in East Africa, seeking to stop the nearly completed project on environmental grounds.
The $5 billion East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), which will transport crude from Uganda’s Albertine Graben to Tanzania’s Tanga port, is nearly completed, after years of delays and controversies surrounding the project. The development of EACOP is being led by French supermajor TotalEnergies.
However, EACOP has drawn environmental scrutiny for years for its potential impact on ecosystems and communities along the route. Supporters argue that the project could be transformative for East Africa, creating jobs, boosting infrastructure investment, and strengthening regional energy security.
Opponents, including the Ugandan farmers who filed the lawsuit against the UK-registered EACOP Ltd, contend that the pipeline, the oil production, and the route would harm water resources in the area, as well as wildlife and biodiversity.
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The 1,443-kilometer pipeline will enable Uganda to export its oil for the first time. Production from the Albertine Rift Basin, where TotalEnergies and China’s CNOOC are developing the Tilenga and Kingfisher oilfields, is expected to peak at around 200,000 barrels per day.
The oil pipeline is expected to bring crude from the Lake Albert project in Uganda to the international oil market. It is designed to transport 216,000 barrels of crude oil per day, with a ramp-up of up to 246,000 bpd, Uganda says.
The pipeline construction could be completed as soon as this month, with first shipments late this year or in early 2027.
The plaintiffs hope a successful lawsuit could stop the pipeline from becoming operational.
“The case seeks remedies that could go to the heart of the project’s commercial viability, including an injunction to stop oil being transported through the pipeline, as well as compensation and other legal relief under Ugandan law,” the Ugandan farmers said in a petition through law firm Leigh Day cited by Bloomberg.
By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com
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