Page 40 - Woman to Woman Magazine: Special Edition 2020
P. 40

MINING

         Alternative Reserves




               Botswana Oil Building Storage


               Facilities Across the Country to


               Ensure Security of Supply





                                           demand  forecasts  and  source  to  satisfy   constraints and the project management
                                           these  cooperation agreements  with   handed over to BOL in 2019. Efforts to
                                           other State-owned entities like PetroSA,   source funding are ongoing, and BOL is
                                           PetroMoc  and NAMCOR in the  region   considering  Public  Private Partnership
                                           and internationally. Furthermore, it does   (PPP). To add on, the Francistown Depot
                                           strategic alliances with refineries and oil   Expansion  -  aimed  at  increasing  the
                                           producing. It also has partnerships with   capacity of Strategic Storage Reserves in
                                           the International Oil Companies trading   Francistown by 60 million litres bringing
                                           locally.                         the depot capacity up to 95 million litres.
                                                                            Project suspended, funding constraints.”
                                           It also  does  development  of the
                                           alternative routes and sources.  Currently   He further added that the Ghanzi Depot,
                                           almost  all  the  product  is sourced from   which is a 30 million litre facility will
                                           South Africa, while small percentages are   serve the western part of the country. The
                                           from Namibia and Mozambique. There   fencing has been completed but project is
                                           are also several projects  ongoing or   on hold due to funding. LPG Depot facility
                                           planned and they are underpinned by the   in Palapye is also looking for funding for
                                           development  of  a supportive  legislative   short,  medium  and  long  term. BOL’s
                                           framework. This transformation will   Coastal Storage in Mozambique, Namibia
                                           give the Government significant control   and South Africa is currently at 30million
                 n  27   November  2020,   over imports – consolidation of imports   litres for each location.
                 Botswana Oil  Limited (BOL)   by BOL. In terms of the status quo, key
                 invited the media to engage   strategic  sourcing activity will  be done   Other projects undertaken by BOL include
         Othem on key issues  that the     and controlled outside the country.   a  Truck  Staging  Centre  to  ease  traffic
         entity  is focused  on.  BOL  wanted to                            congestion along Haile Selassie Road,
         clear some misconceptions and make it   Some  of  the  consolidation  benefits   situated at Old Naledi in Gaborone. There
         known that it is the Government Agent   by BOL include  consolidation  and   is  also  a  Remote  Area  Energy  Centres
         for the  achievement  of the  broader   source national requirements as well as   to service areas not serviced by IOCs.
         economic objectives  which  the  current   having economies  of  scale  to  negotiate   Moreover, there is a Commercial Business
         multinationals cannot achieve.    best  prices  for the  country. The   to ensure sustainable supply to institutions
                                           benefits  derived  will  be  reinvested  into   at competitive prices. There are Road Levy
         The BOL Acting Chief Operations Officer   infrastructure development  while  some   Leakages to ensure all importers comply
         Mosetlho Kenamile highlighted that the   value chain activities will be reserved for   with set regulations (road levies).
         mandate for BOL is to ensure  security   locals, for example, transportation.
         and  efficiency  of  supply  and  primary                          Kenamile also shared that BOL is
         distribution of petroleum  products  in   Recently, Botswana experienced the   embarking on the Coal-to-Liquid (CTL)
         Botswana. “Our  mandate  is to  manage   worst  fuel  shortage  in the  country  and   Project. “The project objectives include
         state-owned  strategic  reserve facilities,   this was a wake-up  call for BOL  to   improved security of fuel supply (self-
         strategic  stocks as well  as bulk storage   increase  storage  facilities.  Kenamile   sufficiency),  beneficiation  of  the  local
         and distribution facilities.  To add   explained, “The current combined BOL   coal resources, national revenue earner,
         on,  Botswana Oil also supports  the   storage  capacity  stands at 62million   national GDP multiplier through creation
         facilitation of meaningful participation   litres with an  18 days cover.  However,   of jobs, driving the development of the
         of citizens in the petroleum  business,”   the  recommended  storage  capacity  for   local technical  expertise  and  investment
         said Kenamile.                    landlocked  countries is 90 days hence   in requisite infrastructural development.
                                           why  BOL has  several projects  to  bring   The project is private sector led and BOL is
         BOL  also does  prudent  management   capacity  to  60 days  cover. The Tshele   facilitating the project. The PPP process is
         of  the  Government  Strategic  Reserves   Hill Storage Facility will have 181 million   being followed in executing the project and
         facilities  and stock cooperation with   litres facility to serve the south but the   hopefully the  project  will  get  underway
         local  Oil Marketing Companies  to  get   project is suspended  due  to funding   soon,” concluded Kenamile.

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