Kenya is set to finally start construction of a petroleum pipeline from the coastal city of Mombasa to Nairobi, the capital city.
Following the conclusion of a feasibility study that shows the East African country needs the facility as a matter of urgency, the Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) is looking to engage an international contractor to undertake the project, estimated to cost $400-million.
“The objective is to construct and commission a new multiproduct pipeline from Mombasa to Nairobi alongside the existing one,” says KPC.
The new pipeline, which will be 450 km long, is designed to meet petroleum products demand for the Eastern African region to 2044. Construction of the pipeline is expected to take two years.
The existing 14-inch-diameter pipeline has been in operation for the last 35 years and cannot meet rising demand for petroleum products despite the Kenya government having invested $92.4-million in 2008 to increase its flow rate from 440 m3/h to 880 m3/h.
Kenya and landlocked countries such as Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo depend on the pipeline.
According to KPC, the successful contractor will be responsible for the procurement and supply of materials, construction works, including civil, mechanical and corrosion control works, and fibre-optic cable installation along the pipeline.