The construction of a new and broader pipeline in western Kenya costing $57 million raises hope for more reliable supply of fuel for domestic use and export.

China Petroleum Pipeline Bureau (CPPB), which won the contract, will build the 122 kilometres 10-inch pipeline from Sinendet to Kisumu parallel to the existing 6-inch facility to meet growing demand of refined fuel.

The Kisumu depot on Lake Victoria's shore has a storage capacity of 39,243 cubic metres of fuel for local use and export to Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan and eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

The depot experiences intermittent shortages of petrol, diesel, kerosene and jet A-1. It receives the products from the Sinendet pump station on the pipeline to Eldoret from Mombasa port through Nairobi and Nakuru.

Jason Nyantino, the Kenya Pipeline Company’s corporate communications manager said the new pipeline would increase pumping of fuel by an additional 360 thousand litres per hour.

“Construction of the new 10-inch pipeline from Sinendet to Kisumu is a response to inadequate supply of petroleum products in the Kisumu depot due to limitations of existing 6-inch diameter pipeline laid in 1992,” he said.

The depot currently receives fuel at a rate of 100m³ per hour through 6-inch pipeline which is not adequate to meet needs of the domestic market and neighbouring countries that fetch oil products using road tankers.

The new Sinendet – Kisumu pipeline will pump about 120 to 350 cubic metres of products per hour. CPPB will also install fittings, at Kisumu depot, for another pipeline to be built in future to Busia town on Kenya’s border with Uganda.

The Chinese firm has also been mandated to supply, install and commission a Single Mode 96 strand fibre optic cable along the entire length of the pipeline.

“The pipeline will transport petrol, diesel and dual purpose kerosene (DPK). The DPK is split into illuminating kerosene and Jet A1 at the receiving stations but is usually transported as one batch," said Mr Nyantino.

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KPC has also embarked on a new phase of upgrading facilities to meet new demand and construction of a modern truck-loading facility currently underway in Eldoret  town will be completed later this year.

READ: Demand puts pressure on depots

“The Sinendet -Kisumu pipeline and the new Eldoret truck-loading facility is a twin approach by KPC to cater for rising demand for petroleum products not only in western Kenya but also in the region,” said Mr Nyantino.

KPC is currently in talks with private investors with a view to acquiring their facilities in Mombasa and Nairobi to act as additional storage and truck-loading facilities in western Kenya to improve security of supply.

“KPC is in discussion with Petrocity to acquire their depot in Konza which will enable us increase our capacity by 38 million litres and additional turnaround of over 100 million litres a month,” said Mr Nyatino.

Petrocity’s depot at Konza along the Mombasa-Nairobi highway has a storage capacity of 22.5 million litres of diesel, 13 million litres of petrol and 4 million litres of kerosene with truck loading facilities among others.