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Russia has approved the construction of a fuel pipeline in the Democratic Republic of Congo as part of its latest investment in African infrastructure.
The pipeline will ship refined petroleum products between the Republic of Congo’s two largest cities, Pointe-Noire and the capital of Brazzaville, solving fuel shortage issues that have long plagued the African nation.
The project, which was greenlit by Russian officials on Tuesday, will be jointly-owned by Russian pipeline builder ZNGS Prometey, which will own 90 percent of the project, while the National Petroleum Company of Congo will own the remaining 10 percent.
An oil pipeline being built on the outskirts of Muanda, on the southwestern tip of the Democratic Republic of Congo on October 19, 2021. A new pipeline will be built by Russia between the nation’s…
An oil pipeline being built on the outskirts of Muanda, on the southwestern tip of the Democratic Republic of Congo on October 19, 2021. A new pipeline will be built by Russia between the nation’s largest two cities.
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Although the Congo is rich in oil reserves, with petroleum accounting for more than 70% of its exports, much of its crude oil needs to be shipped abroad for refining. This means the country has a reliance on external markets, which has often led to domestic fuel shortages, particularly during times of global market disruption.
With the new pipeline, fuel will from coastal refineries into the Congo’s inland regions, where fuel shortages have historically been most acute.
The construction was originally proposed in 2017 but was delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It was formally decided upon at the sixth intergovernmental trade-economic commission meeting in September 2022, where Russia and the DRC brough forward an intergovernmental agreement on the construction. The project is expected to be fully completed by 2026, and will run for at least 25 years, according to the Moscow Times.
Newsweek contacted ZNGS Prometey and the Republic of Congo’s Department of Industry for comment on the construction project.
The Russian Ambassador to Congo, Georgy Chepik, told Construction Review that the Russian company’s involvement in the African nation was “comparable to that of Rusal in Guinea and Alrosa in Angola,” countries that already benefit heavily from Russian involvement, and that “this is a very important, significant presence for us.”
Russia has also made more military pushes in Africa. Earlier this year in May, reports indicated that at least 1,800 Russian soldiers and mercenaries had been deployed in Libya and Niger. At the time, The U.S. State Department accused Moscow of using its mercenaries in Libya to interfere in conflict in the country.
The All Eyes On Wagner Project also found that many of the troops Russia had moved to Africa had come from fighting the war in Ukraine.
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