Africa-Press – Tanzania. PETROLEUM products reserve capacity at the Tanzania International Petroleum Reserves Limited (TIPER) has increased by 81 per cent in the past 20 years in efforts that could make the country’s oil marketing companies store huge reserve.
The TIPER currently has capacity to reserve 254 million litres, up from 140 million litres capacity reached by the year 2000.
“The current capacity is enough to reserve fuel for all oil marketing companies countrywide, thus guaranteeing supply of the commodity in the local market, thus addressing high demand and high prices,” Company’s Deputy Managing Director Martin Mosha stated.
Mr Mosha said that with the huge reserve, the oil marketing companies can import big consignments that would last for more period than nowadays, something which would help in controlling shortages.
“If fuel importers could well utilize this reserve could also avoid paying demurrage at the port,” he stated.
Mr Mosha stated this recently at a media briefing in Dar es Salaam over the company’s operations and reforms occurred during the past 20 years.
Apart from the TIPER’s huge reserve, it’s infrastructures for pumping fuel from its tanks have been connected to all depots of oil marketing companies, thus giving it an advantage of pumping the oil to the importers’ depots.
“Here in Dar Es Salaam were tanks are available we have installed 6 modern fuel flow metres for ensuring accuracy on received and supplied fuel,” he explained.
Elaborating on TIPER’s profile, he said, the company changed its operations from refinery plant to fuel storage facility in 1999 without changing its name.
The company has since then become a joint venture between the Government and Oryx Energies, with each possessing 50 per cent share.
He however, highlighted some of challenges facing the company, citing one of them as trend of oil marketing companies to set up their own storage facilities.
Mr Mosha attributed it to concern from those companies that pumping fuel from the TIPER to their depots was double handling which added more costs.
As a way forward, the TIPER is now considering constructing an area for tankers to load fuel.
“We have already asked the board of directors to endorse the plan,” Mr Mosha said.
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