Upstream field development projects in the Albertine Graben.
01
Crude feedstock
Planned supply of crude oil to meet demand for the refinery.
UNOC • Refining
Turning Uganda’s crude into value at home.
The Uganda Refinery Project is planned as a 60,000-barrel-per-day refinery at Kabaale in Hoima District, creating domestic processing capacity and connecting crude supply to refined-product distribution.
UNOC PROJECT PORTFOLIO
Kabaale · Hoima District
60,000barrels per day · planned refinery capacity
211 kmplanned multi-products pipeline
Up to 40%UNOC participating interest
60:40planned diesel-to-gasoline ratio
Integrated infrastructure
A refinery designed as a
complete product system.
The project extends beyond the processing plant, linking the Kabaale refinery to water infrastructure and a refined-products storage terminal at Namwabula in Mpigi District.
02
Kabaale refinery
A planned 60,000-barrel-per-day refinery at Kabaale in Hoima District.
03
Products pipeline
A 211 km multi-products pipeline planned to transport refined products from the refinery.
04
Namwabula terminal
A storage terminal for refinery products planned for Namwabula in Mpigi District.
Project partnership
A strategic investment
partnership.
Alpha MBM Investments LLC of the United Arab Emirates is identified as the lead partner in the refinery project.
The project partnership supports investment, commercial agreements and continued development of the refinery.
Lead partner
Alpha MBM Investments LLC
Strategic investment, commercial negotiations and refinery development.
Project milestones
Engineering and
commercial journey.
The project milestones move from configuration and engineering through environmental certification, partnership and commercial agreements.
Final refinery configuration
A government-approved study determined the final refinery configuration as a Residual Fluid Catalytic Cracker refinery.
FEED concluded
Front-End Engineering Design was concluded and later approved by the Government of Uganda.
MoU signed
Government and Alpha MBM Investments signed an MoU covering cooperation and negotiation terms.
Commercial negotiations
Negotiations on key commercial agreements with Alpha MBM Investments commenced.
Project framework
The agreements that
underpin the project.
Before Final Investment Decision, the project requires principal commercial agreements supporting feedstock, ownership, government commitments and offtake.
01
Host Government Agreement
Covers commitments and obligations including security, land ownership, business conduct, health, safety and environmental matters.
02
Crude Suppliers Agreement
Intended to secure the required crude oil feedstock from Uganda’s crude owners.
03
Shareholders’ Agreement
Sets out shareholder financial obligations, board roles, decision-making rights and the refinery company.
04
Offtakers Agreement
Intended to define commitments to market the refinery products and support domestic distribution.
Related operations
Part of a connected
infrastructure portfolio.
Explore the infrastructure that supports Uganda’s petroleum value chain.
↗
East African Crude Oil Pipeline
The cross-border pipeline connecting Uganda’s oil fields to the Tanzanian coast.
Explore project ↗↗
Kabaale Industrial Park
The industrial hub hosting the refinery and related industries.
Explore project ↗↗
Midstream
Pipelines, storage terminals and secure transport infrastructure.
Explore project ↗Midstream · Industrial Development
Building an industrial hub around Uganda’s oil economy.
Kabaale Industrial Park is a 29.57 km² oil and gas industrial park in Hoima District, planned around strategic infrastructure including Uganda’s second international airport, the crude oil export hub and the Uganda Refinery.
Kabaale Industrial ParkHoima District · Uganda
29.57 km²land acquired for the oil and gas industrial park
4+major anchor infrastructure and industry clusters
UNOCleading development, operationalisation and management
KIPstrategic industrial platform for investment and national value
One park. Multiple strategic industries.
Kabaale is positioned as more than an airport development, bringing together strategic infrastructure, petroleum projects and supporting industries.
International Airport
Uganda’s second international airport is identified as one of the park’s anchor infrastructure projects.
Crude Oil Export Hub
The park is planned to host infrastructure supporting Uganda’s crude export activities.
Uganda Refinery
The planned refinery is a core industrial anchor within the Kabaale development ecosystem.
Industrial Cluster
Petrochemical, fertilizer, agro-processing, warehousing, logistics and related industries are envisaged.
UNOC’s role
From land to an investable industrial platform.
The Government of Uganda acquired the land for development of the park. UNOC leads its development, operationalisation and management with a strategic joint venture partner.
UNOC and the strategic partner are expected to support management, promotion, national participation, direct investment and the attraction of external investment.
Development model
Public assets. Strategic partnership. Private investment.
UNOC provides project assets and stakeholder leadership while the partner supports investment in enabling infrastructure, pre-built warehouses and offices, and facility management services.
Project progress and delivery workstreams.
The current programme spans planning, airport development, partnership, land allocation and enabling infrastructure.
KIP Masterplan
The Masterplan was developed and approved by the Physical Planning Board.
Airport development
The supplied project material reports substantial progress on Hoima International Airport.
JV partner process
A proposal from a joint-venture partner was received and evaluated.
Site and Phase 1 infrastructure
Design work covers roads, fencing, power, ICT, water and wastewater infrastructure.
Designed to attract productive investment.
Kabaale’s location alongside upstream developments, EACOP and associated infrastructure creates opportunities beyond petroleum processing alone.
Petrochemicals & fertilizer
Industrial activities that can build additional value around Uganda’s petroleum resource base.
Agro-processing
Opportunities to connect agro-based value-addition investors with local farmer groups.
Warehousing & services
Pre-built warehouses, logistics, offices and related support services form part of the proposed investment environment.
Explore Midstream
Connected projects across the value chain.
Projects · Midstream
East African Crude Oil Pipeline.
A transboundary crude oil pipeline connecting Uganda’s oil fields to the Tanzanian coast at Tanga — creating a strategic export route for Uganda’s petroleum resources.
UGANDA → TANZANIA
1,443 km
Total pipeline length
296 km
Route within Uganda
1,147 km
Route within Tanzania
2 countries
Uganda and Tanzania
A regional energy infrastructure project.
The EACOP starts in Hoima District in Uganda and terminates at Tanga port in Tanzania. Within Uganda, it traverses ten districts and seventy-one villages; in Tanzania, it traverses eight regions and twenty districts.
PROJECT ROUTE
Hoima, Uganda → Tanga, Tanzania
Designed for Uganda’s crude.
The project combines specialised engineering with environmental and social considerations along its cross-border route.
01
Electrically heated
Because of the viscous and waxy nature of Uganda’s crude oil, the pipeline will need to be heated along the entire route.
02
Buried pipeline
The pipeline will be buried to minimise environmental and social impact, with some facilities above ground.
03
Route selection
The route was selected by the Government of Uganda as the least-cost and most robust option.
04
Compliance
The project is intended to comply with Ugandan and Tanzanian legislation and international requirements.
05
Marine export terminal
The Marine Export Storage Terminal and Load-Out Facility will be located north of Tanga port on the Chongoleani peninsula.
06
Cross-border infrastructure
The route links Uganda’s petroleum development to an Indian Ocean export point through Tanzania.
Project gallery.
Images from across the EACOP corridor and project activities.
PROJECT DEVELOPMENT
Progress on EACOP.
A clear project chronology from agreement to ongoing engineering.
May 2017
The Inter-Governmental Agreement for the crude export pipeline was signed.
Oct 2020
Front-End Engineering Design was carried out and approved by the Petroleum Authority of Uganda.
Dec 2020
Environmental and Social Impact Assessment studies were approved and the certificate issued by NEMA.
Apr 2021
Host Government Agreements, Shareholders Agreement, and Tariff & Transportation Agreement were signed.
Ongoing
Detailed engineering activities, including optimisation and development of pipeline alignment sheets, are ongoing.
Explore related projects.
Explore more of UNOC’s project portfolio across upstream, midstream, and downstream activities.
MIDSTREAM
Kabalega Industrial Park
EXPLORE PROJECT →
MIDSTREAM
The Uganda Refinery Project
EXPLORE PROJECT →
UPSTREAM
Tilenga & Kingfisher Projects
EXPLORE UPSTREAM →External project resource
Learn more about EACOP.
Visit the dedicated EACOP project website for more information.
Uganda Refinery at Kabaale Industrial Park.