Kenya Pipeline Company storage tanks nearly complete

The Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) is due to complete construction of its $53m fuel storage tanks in Nairobi this month. The tanks will receive products directly from the Port of Mombasa. 

Indian firm, Prashanth Project Ltd (PPL), is currently completing the build of four tanks with a capacity to store 133 million litres and Zakhem International Construction is at the tail-end of finishing a new pipeline from Mombasa to Nairobi. 

KPC said: “Nairobi’s current storage capacity is 100 million litres. New tanks will more than double [the] Kenyan capital’s storage, receive more fuel for domestic use and export to Uganda among other countries.” 

Kenya pays ship owners more than $100m per year as demurrage fees for tankers failing to offload fuel, as Mombasa’s port lacks adequate storage space.  

The new tanks will receive higher volumes of oil products pumped by a new 20-inch pipeline from the state-owned Kipevu oil storage facility (KOSF) in Mombasa.   

KPC’s Managing Director, Joe Sang, said that major strategic investments are being made in infrastructure facilities to boost country’s profile as a hub for energy, and the four tanks will guarantee security of fuel supply to the region. “Tanks are part of the strategy because once they are complete, [the] provision of sufficient capacity for receipt of higher volumes of fuel will be guaranteed once existing [the] Mombasa-Nairobi pipeline (Line 1) is replaced,” he said. 

For more information visit www.kpc.co.ke 

21st Dec 2017