What exactly are Tilenga and EACOP?
12/06/2022
Located in East Africa, Uganda is home to a considerable amount of oil and gas resources. The Ugandan state has decided to enlist TotalEnergies' expertise in an effort to tap into its resources.
Our Tilenga and EACOP projects will soon be developed here in Uganda and Tanzania.
Uganda / Tanzania
The Tilenga and EACOP projects
Located in East Africa, Uganda is home to a considerable amount of oil and gas resources. The Ugandan state has decided to enlist TotalEnergies' expertise in an effort to tap into its resources.
Our Tilenga and EACOP projects will soon be developed here in Uganda and Tanzania.
[What exactly are Tilenga and EACOP?]
The Tilenga project consists of 6 fields and 426 petroleum wells across 31 locations. The project is expected to produce up to 190,000 barrels a day.
The EACOP project involves a 1,443 km underground oil pipeline between the town of Kabaale in Uganda and the port of Tanga in Tanzania.
Since Uganda is a landlocked country, the oil needs to be transported to a port where it can be shipped to refineries in the US, Europe and Japan.
Both projects have been designed to minimize their environmental and visual impact as much as possible. For example, over 80% of the underground pipeline route will be returned to its natural state after construction.
[Why launch these two projects?]
80% of the global energy system still relies on fossil fuels, especially oil. Demand for energy is expected to grow.
During this transition phase, to which TotalEnergies is fully committed, the world still needs oil and reasonably priced oil for a few years to come. This is the purpose of these projects, which will provide for oil production over 20 years.
[Benefits for the local populations]
The Tilenga and EACOP projects are viewed with a distrustful eye in some countries.
In Uganda and Tanzania, these projects are expected and seen to be an opportunity for financing the country's economic development.
- Interview with Honey Malinga
- Interview with Ernest Rubondo
These aspirations are shared by the young generation. Interview with Julius Mutabazi
Both projects are being developed in sparsely populated areas. As with any major infrastructure project, relocations will be required. In the case of the Tilenga and EACOP projects, 764* households will be rehomed, representing approximately 5,000 people.
* data based on the October 2022 census
TotalEnergies and the Ugandan state have set up a specific compensation system for the people affected. This system allows for two types of compensation:
- Compensation in kind: new homes, land swaps… we have ensured that each household will be rehomed in the same geographic area and in higher quality housing.
- Financial compensation: payment of monetary compensation.
This system complies with Ugandan law, Tanzanian law and applicable best standards, namely those promoted by the International Finance Corporation, a member of the World Bank Group and the largest global development institution focused on encouraging the growth of the private sector in developing countries.
- Interview with Philippe Groueix
- Interview with Estakio Kigongo
Projects fostering regional development
In addition to the compensation system, TotalEnergies is taking on-the-ground action to help drive this geographic area's development. For example, the Company is planning to promote energy access.
Close to three million hours of training will be delivered to inhabitants.
The Tilenga and EACOP projects will create nearly 80,000 jobs when building the infrastructures, and contracts worth $2 billion have been awarded to local businesses. Interview with Judith Bero Irwoth.
Minimizing the environmental impact. Interview with Kenneth Opitto.
Both projects have been designed to reduce their impact on plant-life and wildlife to an absolute minimum.
TotalEnergies has invested to massively reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The projects will emit 13 kg CO2 per barrel, far less than the average emissions generated by the oil and gas facilities in Africa which is 33 kg CO2 per barrel.
Building, commissioning, and operating the projects will generate 13.5 million tons of CO2 over their entire service life (Scopes 1 and 2).
In terms of the projects' footprint, TotalEnergies has restricted Tilenga's development to 0.03% of the surface area of the Murchison Falls National Park.
Together with local communities and spearheaded by independent institutions, the Company has implemented a biodiversity program in Uganda to deliver a positive impact on biodiversity. The program includes measures to increase the population of lions and elephants in the Murchison Falls National Park by 25%. TotalEnergies is also leading a black rhinoceros reintroduction project.
Supporting the global energy transition
These projects are designed to forge an exemplary track record when it comes to their transitional nature, their emission levels and their special consideration to the local populations and the environment. They are playing a key role in our ambition of achieving net zero by 2050 together with society.