Global consultancy firm Turner & Townsend has won a contract to project manage the construction of a 550 kilometres (340-mile) pipeline that will transport fuel from the port of Djibouti to Ethiopia
Djibouti's 'Horn of Africa' pipeline will transport refined oil products (diesel, gasoline and jet fuel) to Awash, a town near Addis Ababa.
It will cost an estimated US$1.55bn to build and is being developed by Black Rhino MOGS, a joint venture between the infrastructure investment company Black Rhino Group and South African-based Mining, Oil & Gas Services Ltd.
Turner & Townsend stated they will be providing full project controls services including estimating, cost, schedule, risk and change management, performance measurement, reporting and document control, in addition to contracts administration and procurement management.
The pipeline, the company has claimed, will provide an 'essential infrastructure link' between the port of Djibouti and landlocked Ethiopia.
Turner & Townsend said the pipeline will be capable of carrying more than 240,000 barrels of fuel per day, and claimed it 'will greatly ease' pressure on the current supply route – which requires 500 tanker trucks a day to make the journey by road.
The project is currently in the set-up phase, with detailed design and procurement due to take place over the coming months.
Turner & Townsend has also been working closely with the Black Rhino Group to help its due diligence process on several other projects in Africa, including Nigeria.
Mark Haselau, director at Turner & Townsend, said Turner and Townsend have been "guiding and supporting" Black Rhino MOGS on the project since its inception.
“The challenge lies in overcoming the logistical, infrastructural and regulatory issues presented on the African continent – including the physical importation and transportation of materials to the many sites and laydown areas along the pipeline’s route."
