Controversial $3.5 Billion Crude Oil Pipeline Approved in Tanzania Despite Environmental Concerns On Tuesday, the Tanzanian government grant...

Controversial $3.5 Billion Crude Oil Pipeline Approved in Tanzania Despite Environmental Concerns

On Tuesday, the Tanzanian government granted approval for the construction of a crude oil pipeline worth $3.5 billion. The pipeline is a part of a mega-project, which has become a matter of controversy due to concerns over environmental impact and human rights. The pipeline, stretching 1,443 kilometers (900 miles), will transport crude oil from oilfields in Lake Albert, located in northwestern Uganda, to a Tanzanian port on the Indian Ocean.

Approval for the pipeline was required from both countries. Last month, Uganda issued a license to the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP), the project operator. "This construction approval marks another step forward to EACOP as it allows commencement of the main construction activities in Tanzania, upon completion of the ongoing land access process," said Wendy Brown, the General Manager of EACOP Tanzania, at a function held to receive the approval certificate.

The $10 billion oilfields and pipeline project has encountered strong opposition from environmental groups and rights campaigners, who assert that the project poses a significant threat to the fragile ecosystem in the region and the livelihoods of tens of thousands of people.

The project is a collaboration between the China National Offshore Oil Corporation (CNOOC), France's TotalEnergies, and Uganda's state-owned Uganda National Oil Company.