TotalEnergies launches initiative to protect environment

BULIISA-TotalEnergies has launched the Tilenga Biodiversity Programme aimed at protecting and conserving biodiversity in and around the Tilenga Project Area where some of the oil activities are taking place.

Philippe Groueix, the General Manager TotalEnergies EP Uganda, said the initiative aims to reduce human pressures on forests, and strengthen the ecological resilience of the Murchison Falls protected area through enhanced park protection and community-based management such as supporting alternative livelihoods.

Groueix made the remarks days ago while launching the programme in Buliisa district where he said his company is mindful of the sensitive environmental concerns within the area and that they are undertaking the activities while at the same being cautious of the maintaining the biodiversity of the area.

Groueix added that the oil company is also implementing conservation and restoration measures for forests, targeting to protect 10,000 hectares of natural forests threatened by deforestation, and restoration of 1,000 hectares of tropical forest within the Tilenga Project Area.

“We are working with the host community to manage and restore wetlands along the southern bank of Lake Albert through a community-based management initiative,” Groueix said.

The approach involves the implementation of conservation and community awareness initiatives, in collaboration with relevant stakeholders, to achieve the set goals of protecting the environment.

Meanwhile, Ms Anita Kayongothe Corporate Communications Manager TotalEnergies said, the biodiversity programme complements the already existing efforts by the company to minimise the potential negative impacts of the project on the environment.

She said the company follows the ‘Avoid – Reduce – Compensate’ principles in its Biodiversity Policy and that as such, it has decided to reduce the Tilenga Project’s footprint in the Murchison Falls National Park.

However, Christopher Ocowun Public Relations and Public Coordination Affairs Manager said the company recently embarked on community-based forest conservation and restoration initiatives such as “Grow A Tree Everywhere” [GATE] initiative, which is aimed at growing 100,000 trees in the Tilenga Project Area. The initiatives are being carried out in Nwoya and Buliisa districts.

Ocowun said the biodiversity program will ensure a sustainable approach in working with the community towards protecting and conserving the ecologically rich area in and around the Murchison Falls Conservation Area.

He added that to protect and maintain the connectivity of habitats in the savannah and Bugungu Natural Reserve, the company is developing schemes to support the diversification of livelihoods through agricultural support to the communities within the project area. This he said will reduce the communities’ dependency on Bugungu Natural Reserve.

“Total Energies is implementing plans to ensure that oil development activities are undertaken and can co-exist harmoniously with the environment and biodiversity with an overall mission to leave the environment in better condition,” Ocowun said.

One of the community members venturing into cassava production, Patrick Semwaga a resident of Kasingi village, Ongwedu Subcounty, Buliisa district whose livelihood was affected by the Tilenga Oil Project said his livelihood has changed after he was empowered by Total Energies to grow cassava.

“We are able to produce five acres of cassava in every planting season with the support from Total energies in a livelihood support geared at reducing dependency on natural trees for commercial charcoal,” Semwaga said.

TotalEnergies environmental conservation efforts come at a time when environmentalists are against its oil projects in Tilenga Project Area.

A section of local and international environmental activists have mounted a sustained campaign against the proposed East African Crude Oil Pipeline [EACOP]. They hope to stop the country from developing its petroleum resources.

The most recent is when Polish climate activist, Ms Dominika Lasota aggressively demanded that Emmanuel Macron, President of France, denounces the EACOP project partially funded by TotalEnergies, a subsidiary of TotalEnergies SA.

In March 2022, another group of activists met with Pope Francis at the Vatican to ask for his support in their campaign to stop the construction of the EACOP. Earlier in March 2020, they sought orders from French courts to halt the Uganda oil project.

The same or similar groups have unsuccessfully sought the same orders in the Arusha-based East African Court of Justice.

A similar case was lodged in the High Court of Uganda in 2019 and the latest was registered in 2021 where a group from the US applied to the High court of Uganda where they claimed that if ruled in their favour could save Uganda and Tanzania from an environmental disaster.

In a ruling delivered on May 4, 2022, the High court dismissed their baseless application on ground that the applicants are biased and have previously declared very biased positions against the Uganda oil project.

Tilenga project licenses

The Tilenga Project covers three Production Licenses [PLs]from Contract Area [CA] -1 and three PLs from LA-2. The PLs include; Jobi-Rii, Gunya, Ngiri, Kasamene-Wahrindi, Kigogole-Ngara and Nsoga.

The project includes the following facilities; development of a Central Processing Facility [CPF] with the capacity to process 190,000 barrels of oil and 700,000 barrels of total liquid per day; drilling of over 426 wells [200 water injector wells, 196 oil producer wells, 2 polymer pilot wells and 28 reference wells] which are planned to be drilled on 31 well-pads, over 160 km of flow-lines which will transport crude oil and water from the wells to the CPF.

Others are’ 95 km 24-inch feeder pipeline which will transport the processed crude oil from the CPF in Buliisa to the export hub and Refinery in Kabaale in Hoima District and other supporting infrastructure include; Victoria Nile Crossing, Temporary and Permanent Operation Support Base camps and a Lake Water Abstraction Station.

https://thecooperator.news/eacop-uganda-tanzania-sign-security-pact/

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