A large offshore oil terminal in Kenya, built by a Chinese firm, went fully operational on Thursday, a key step forward to ensuring energy security in the country.

Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta commissioned the Kipevu Oil Terminal (KOT), and the nation now possesses a cutting-edge modern offshore oil facility at Mombasa Port.

The new terminal will largely enhance energy transfer capacity of the Mombasa Port and drive economic development of the country and the East African region. 

According to People's Daily Online, the oil terminal was built by the China Communications Construction Company.

The 770-meter-long KOT with four berths has the capacity to load and offload all categories of petroleum products from very large sea tankers of up to 170,000 deadweight tonnage (dwt), and it is the largest of its kind in East Africa.

The construction of KOT started in February 2019 and was completed this January. With advanced automatic equipment, the load and unload time of each ship has been reduced from three to four days to one to two days.

Lin Zhiping, project manager of the oil terminal project, told China Media Group (CMG) that the official delivery of the Mombasa oil terminal project epitomizes the Belt and Road cooperation between China and Africa.

"All those key projects for connectivity have not only boosted the economic growth of Kenya, created jobs for the local, but also helped the country train a group of technical and management talents in engineering and construction."