Uganda and Tanzania have strengthened their strategic energy partnership following the signing of a landmark agreement to jointly develop the Tanga Regional Energy Hub, a major infrastructure project expected to enhance energy security, promote regional trade and accelerate industrialisation across East Africa.
The agreement was witnessed by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and Tanzanian President Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan during President Museveni’s two-day working visit to Tanzania, highlighting the growing cooperation between the two neighbouring countries in the energy sector.
At the centre of the partnership is a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between the Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC), Tanzania Petroleum Development Corporation (TPDC) and Vitol Bahrain to develop the Tanga Regional Energy Hub.
The project is expected to transform Tanga into a regional centre for petroleum refining, storage, logistics, trading and distribution. It builds on the progress of the East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) and is designed to strengthen East Africa’s position as a competitive energy and petroleum trading hub.
Uganda’s Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, Dr. Monica Musenero Masanza, described the agreement as another milestone in the longstanding cooperation between Uganda and Tanzania.
She said the partnership reflects the two countries’ commitment to using strategic energy investments to drive industrialisation, create jobs and stimulate economic growth.
Dr. Musenero noted that the Tanga Regional Energy Hub, together with Uganda’s planned 60,000-barrel-per-day Hoima Refinery, will strengthen regional energy security while promoting value addition through petrochemicals, manufacturing, bitumen production and other downstream industries.
