daniel chigunwe
THE Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) has reaffirmed its directive for full compliance with Statutory Instrument (S I) 150 of 2024 that stipulates all players in the petroleum industry to blend anhydrous ethanol with unleaded petrol.
Anhydrous ethanol refers to ethanol that contains little to no water (less than 1 percent water content).
In August this year, the Government through the Ministry of Energy and Power Development gazetted S I 150 of 2024 that requires imported petrol before it is sold to be blended with anhydrous ethanol.
Blending with ethanol has been compulsory since 2011 as part of national measures to encourage use of biofuels.
At present, Zimbabwe’s fuel blending ratio is at 20 percent ethanol (E20) — therefore, with the enforcement of S I 150 of 2024 this means that petroleum dealers in the country are required to adhere to the blending ratio.
In a public notice released this week, ZERA said: “Please be advised that ZERA expects total compliance to the S I 150 of 2024 — Petroleum (Mandatory Blending of Anhydrous ethanol with unleaded petrol) (Amendment) Regulations, 2024 (No.6) from all petroleum sector operators.
“Further, operators are also advised that it is illegal to sell a petroleum product purporting that it is another.
“ZERA will therefore, take the necessary legal steps to ensure full compliance to the law.”
Energy and Power Development Minister Edgar Moyo made the above regulations in August following consultations with ZERA using his powers under the Petroleum Act.
The amendment repeals the definition of petrol subject to ethanol blending in the 2013 principal regulations and substitutes a simple: “These regulations shall apply to all unleaded petrol imported into Zimbabwe.”
In the past, there was always a group of motorists who believed that blended fuel could damage their vehicles.
Against this background, a number of petroleum dealers have decided to work their way round the ban on unblended petrol by finding a loophole and then calling it “unleaded petrol”, even though all petrol was blended.
Ethanol blending started off as voluntary but became compulsory with consumer resistance.
The Government’s switch to blended petrol came for a number of reasons: reduction of petroleum imports, reducing carbon footprint, creating extra markets for sugarcane farmers and creating new jobs for those in the value chain.
Biofuels do not add to the carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere when they burn, since the replacement sugarcane takes the equivalent carbon out as it grows.
In an interview this week, economic analyst Ms Mercy Shumba said fuel blending helps the country save foreign currency.
“Fuel blending goes a long way in lowering Zimbabwe’s dependence on imported fuel, conserve foreign currency, and promote environmental sustainability
“Therefore, the mandatory blending of ethanol with unleaded petrol increases the fuel pool and reduce imports, thus saving foreign currency,” she said. — BH24
Bongani Ndlovu