Kenya pipeline company, KPC opened bids for the design, installation, commissioning and construction of a new multipurpose fuel pipeline to replace the aging line from port Mombasa to Nairobi.

KPC said that it was inviting proposals for preliminary and detailed design and environmental and social assessment services for the section of its fuel pipeline between the port city of Mombasa and Nairobi. The new USD 300million pipeline shall suit the projected demand up to year 2044.

Kenya is currently testing the pipeline from Nairobi to Eldoret having completed its construction. Kenya is seeking more than USD 1 billion to increase the capacity of its only crude oil refinery to process 4 million tones of crude per year from 2.6 million tones now.

The existing 14 inch pipeline linking Mombasa to Nairobi has outlived its 30 year lifespan and Kenya is thus seeking to replace it with a double carnage pipeline.

(Filed by Matsiko Mike SteelGuru Uganda correspondent)