Kenya's President Uhuru Kenyatta will visit the Kipevu Oil Terminal (KOT) on January 6, 2022, accompanied by Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi to assess its final phase of development. The $40 billion offshore facility, constructed by China Communication Construction Company (CCCC), aims to replace the 1963-built terminal at Port Reitz.
Located at Mombasa Port, the new terminal features four berths spanning 770 meters, with a work boat wharf in Westmont. It includes five sub-sea pipelines buried 26 meters deep to avoid interference with future dredging. The project connects to Kenya Petroleum Refineries Limited (KPRL) and Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) storage tanks via dedicated risers.
Initially capable of handling three 200,000-ton vessels simultaneously, the terminal will eventually accommodate four ships. It will manage six hydrocarbon products, including liquefied petroleum gas (LPG), crude oil, and white oil derivatives like aviation fuel and diesel. Officials claim the modern infrastructure will cut vessel turnaround time from four to two days, reducing demurrage and freight costs.
"The terminal will for a start be able to accommodate three ships concurrently with a capacity of 200,000 tons each," stated the project's technical description, noting the facility's role in boosting LPG importation and potentially lowering energy costs.
The existing Kipevu terminal, built in 1963, served the East Africa Oil Refinery before becoming KPRL. Its single jetty could handle only one vessel at a time, with slower discharge rates compared to the new terminal's enhanced capabilities.
