13 November 2013, Harare – The US$11 million Mabvuku fuel loading gantry being constructed under a public/private partnership arrangement with Government will be complete next year in April, a Sakunda Energy official has said.
Sakunda Energy was given the task to construct the loading gantry by the Energy and Power Development ministry.
Speaking after the Energy and Power development ministry officials’ tour of the Mabvuku, Msasa fuel depots, Sakunda managing director Mr Mberikwazvo Chitambo said the project was supposed to be completed before the end of this year.
“The project was supposed to be completed before the end of the year, but we are waiting for some of the material from South Africa. The roofing of the gantry will be completed by mid-next month so rains will not affect the progress we are doing here.
“This gantry has the capacity to load eight trucks which carry 40 000 litres of fuel simultaneously,” he said.
Mr Chitambo also said that the gantry has the capacity to tap fuel from the Mabvuku fuel storage facility and Msasa fuel depots.
He added that they will hand over the gantry immediately to the Government once it is complete.
Meanwhile, Energy and Power Development minister Dzikamai Mavhaire lauded the National Oil Infrastructure Company for its progress at the fuel depots.
“We are fairly impressed with what is going on and we hope that all the developments here will fit into the grand plan,” he said.
The minister also expressed concern over the unfair treatment of some companies who said NOIC gave preferential treatment to others.
Minister Mavhaire added that NOIC should have meetings with all companies to come up with a schedule for the blending to avoid further complaints.
Sakunda and NOIC are some of the companies that were licensed by the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority to blend unleaded petrol and ethanol in September this year.
Speaking to the Herald Business Zera chief executive Engineer Gloria Magombo said most of the imported fuel was coming through the pipeline and was picked at Msasa or Feruka where NOIC does the blending.
“NOIC has the blending system at Feruka and Msasa so vehicles can have their fuels blended on site,” said Eng Magombo.
A NOIC official said they have sufficient stocks of the blend at their depots. He said they have the stocks and they are replenished every day.
– The Herald