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.
40 Noble Magazine // 2020 Special Edition