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Kudakwashe Pembere Business Reporter
THE Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority has licensed four companies to blend the E5 fuel following the recent gazetting of regulations for anhydrous ethanol and unleaded petrol mandatory blending. Green Fuel, Zuva Petroleum, Sakunda Energy and the National Oil and Infrastructure Company have been licensed to blend the mandatory E5 fuel.
All fuel sold in this country is expected to have 5 percent ethanol and 95 percent unleaded petrol.
Zera chief executive Engineer Gloria Magombo told Herald Business that fuel dealers could collect the blended E5 fuel in Harare, Mutare and Triangle.
“The sites are FMI depot in Harare (Zuva), Triangle depot (Green Fuel), Zuva Mutare (Zuva), Birmingham Depot (Sakunda), Feruka and Msasa (NOIC),” said Engineer Magombo.
She 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.
“We have the stocks and they are replenished every day. We get the ethanol from Green Fuel and fuel dealers come give us the unleaded,” he said.
According to the statement issued last month on mandatory blending of the E5 fuel, the energy regulatory body pegged the starting wholesale price of the ethanol produced for mandatory blending at US95c per litre for the first 90 days while the retail price of petrol is expected to come down by US3c per litre as a result of the blending. Thereafter, Zera will be reviewing the prices every three months.
Eng Magombo also assured the motoring public that the quality of E5 fuel was in accordance with the set standards and safe for all petrol vehicles. Zera advised that the quality specification of E5 fuel conforms to the Standards Association of Zimbabwe Standard: ZWS964 Part 1 for fuels and is based on internationally recognised quality standards for this type of fuel.
She added that since the approval of E5 is with immediate effect, wholesalers and retailers have up to 60 days to clear their current stock while also making the necessary logistics after which all licensees in the petroleum sector will be expected to comply with provisions of Statutory Instrument 17 of 2013.
“We held a workshop recently and the stakeholders agreed that the 60 days are sufficient. As such they should not wait until after the grace period has lapsed.
“We will not be tolerating any dealer that does not comply with this 60-day deadline and there is no compromise otherwise the fuel dealers will be risking getting out of business,” said Eng Magombo.
Online Reporter