Advertisement

Kenya increases capacity of pipeline to transport fuel

Saturday May 28 2016

Refined fuel exports from Kenya to Uganda and northern Tanzania and other parts of the region are expected to rise with the completion of a new pipeline.

A 10-inch pipeline valued a $57 million, has been designed to deliver higher volumes of fuel to the Kenya Pipeline Company’s Kisumu depot on the shores of Lake Victoria.

China Petroleum Pipeline Bureau (CPPB) built the pipeline to increase oil products supply in western Kenya for local use, and to export oil to Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, northern Tanzania, South Sudan and eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

READ: New $57m KPC pipeline to ease fuel supply in western Kenya

Building of 122km pipeline started in mid 2014 and was completed in 14 months parallel to the existing 6-inch pipe from Sinendet in Nakuru to Kisumu.

A study done by a Chinese firm, Shengli Engineering and Consulting Company Ltd, shows that petroleum products demand in western Kenya is approximately 1.2 billion litres and the export market needs about 2.3 billion litres per annum.

Advertisement

The Kisumu depot has in the past experienced shortage of petrol, diesel, kerosene and jet A-1 fuel. It receives fuel from Mombasa port through Nairobi, Nakuru and Sinendet pump station.

The pipeline system currently consists of 450km of line1 from Mombasa to Nairobi, 325km each of line 2 and line 4 from Nairobi to Eldoret and 122 km each of line 3 and line 6 from Sinendet to Kisumu.

KPC expects the new pipeline to lead to offtake of petrol from Kisumu depot increasing to 2 million litres daily with 60 per cent destined for export to the regional market and 40 per cent for local consumption.

The evacuation of diesel is set to rise to 2 million litres, kerosene to 500,000 litres and jet A-1 to 1 million litres daily of which 60 per cent will be exported.

The depot previously handled 1.1 million litres of petrol, 1.4 million litres of diesel, 300,000 litres of kerosene and 440,000 litres of jet A-1 per day.

KPC managing director Joe Sang said tests are being carried out on the new line, which is expected to increase oil flow to Kisumu depot by an additional 350,000 litres per hour.

Advertisement