Zimbabwe has missed a June deadline to switch from high sulphur diesel to cleaner fuel and will now give fuel dealers a grace period to March 2018 to clear old stocks, Energy minister Samuel Undenge has said.
In 2007, the country moved from diesel 5000 to diesel 500.
Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe, which use the Beira port for fuel receipts agreed a June 2017 target to switch from Diesel 500 to a far cleaner fuel, Diesel 50, whose sulphur content is a tenth of Diesel 500.
The countries intend to move to an even lower sulphur fuel Diesel 10 by 2020.
“Preparatory works for the migration to Diesel 50 are already underway. The National Oil Infrastructure Company of Zimbabwe (NOIC) has been requested to prepare the pipeline and depots for the pumping and storage of Diesel 50,” said Undenge.
“With effect from November fuel importers will be required to only import Diesel 50 and selling of any other fuel grade would become an offence as from March 2018”.
The number of retail outlets selling Diesel 50 continues to increase with monthly consumption increasing from about 1.7 million litres in 2015 to about 4 million litres in 2016.
Tanzania and Mauritius are the only other countries in southern Africa that have fully migrated to Diesel 50.- The Source
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