The Ugandan and Tanzanian governments have announced that the first exports of crude oil from Uganda’s oilfields via the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (Eacop) will take place in October this year, with the project 79 percent complete as of the end of December 2025.

The two countries’ Energy ministers disclosed this on January 5 during a high-level stakeholder meeting in Dar es Salaam, where they reviewed progress and coordination ahead of Uganda’s first oil exports.

The review covered construction of the pipeline, above-ground installations, the marine terminal in Tanga and supporting infrastructure. Officials said works are at peak levels and remain on track for startup readiness by July 31, 2026.

Uganda’s Energy Minister Ruth Nankabirwa led the Ugandan delegation, which included officials from the ministry, executives from the Uganda National Oil Company, the National Petroleum Council and Eacop Ltd, the project company.

Tanzania’s Energy Minister Deogratius Ndejembi led his country’s delegation, comprising officials from the Ministry of Energy, the Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation and the Energy and Water Utilities Regulatory Authority (Ewura).

The project has drawn criticism from environmental and human rights groups, who describe it as a climate risk and say it has displaced tens of thousands of landowners along its 1,443-kilometre route from Uganda’s Lake Albert basin to the Chongoleani peninsula at the Port of Tanga in Tanzania.

Uganda’s Energy minister acknowledged the criticism but said strong political backing and cooperation between the two governments had helped secure financing and sustain construction momentum.

Uganda’s joint venture partners, TotalEnergies and CNOOC, say Eacop and the upstream Tilenga and Kingfisher projects are designed to manage carbon emissions. They plan to power about 80 percent of the pipeline’s electricity needs using solar installations along the route, with the remaining 20 percent supplied from the grid rather than fuel-based generation.

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