The Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) has completed the second phase of an upgrade of its Nairobi -Eldoret pipeline, boosting the supply of petroleum products to consumers in western Kenya, as well as markets in the Great Lakes region.
The upgrade has increased the product flow rate on the 14-inch pipeline, popularly known as Line IV, by 56 percent to 515 cubic meters(M3) per hour up from the current 330.
Speaking during the project technical handover ceremony held in Ngema, Mr David Muriuki, the Infrastructure general manager and project engineer was upbeat about the impact of the Line IV upgrade project.
“With the accelerated flow rate of 515 cubic metres per hour, up from an average of 380 cubic metres per hour, KPC will certainly meet the Western Kenya product demand,” Mr Muriuki said.
The first phase of the Live IV upgrade project was completed in 2011. It included the construction of the 14-inch pipeline from Nairobi to Eldoret and installation of two pumps at PS21 (Nairobi Terminal) and PS24 (Nakuru) to operate alternately, with a designed flowrate of 378M3 per hour.
“We will gradually increase the current flow rate of 515 cubic metres per hour, based on product demand to an optimal rate of 757 cubic metres per hour once the third phase of the upgrade project is complete,” commissioning engineer James Kimaiyos said.
“Plans are also underway to re-configure the Nairobi Terminal (PS21) to a 2+1 mode (two pumps running and one on standby). This will ensure maximum utilisation of the pipeline,” he added.
The pipeline supports KPC’s fuel depots in Nakuru, Kisumu and Eldoret, which are also critical for supplies to export markets in Rwanda, Burundi, Northern Tanzania, South Sudan, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Kenya and Uganda recently started talks over the extension of the petroleum products pipeline from Eldoret to Kampala, in what could finally deliver a project mooted 29 years ago.
Extension of the pipeline from Eldoret is key to offering Uganda a safer means of getting fuel to Kampala by dropping the use of trucks from Kenya, besides helping reduce transport costs that are key to determining prices of fuel in Kampala.
The project will entail the construction of a multi-product oil pipeline from Eldoret to Malaba (Kenya-Uganda border) on Kenya’s part. However, Uganda will be responsible for building a connecting line to Kampala. An extension of the pipeline to Kigali, the capital of Rwanda is also in the offing.
Extension of the pipeline was first mooted in 1995 and the Libyan-government-owned Tamoil East Africa awarded the deal in 2006.
However, the contract was later ended after the firm failed to fulfill conditions under a Memorandum of Understanding signed in 2008.
Uganda is currently trucking fuel from Eldoret, a scenario which unlike pipeline transport poses security and safety risks.
Besides trucking, Uganda also relies on the Kisumu Oil Jetty to move fuel via the Lake Victoria waters. This started last year but the volumes are yet to hit full capacity due to Uganda’s delays to complete its oil jetty.
