By JAMES KUNDA –
CONSTRUCTION of a 6.5 million litre bulk fuel storage depot in Mpika has been completed at a cost of K50 million.
Mines, Energy and Water Development Permanent Secretary Charity Mwansa said in an interview that the facility would start operating soon after the allocation of a fire tender to the site.
Ms Mwansa said Government would also ensure that Oil Marketing Companies supplying fuel to Mpika lift the commodity directly from Dar-es-Salaam in Tanzania instead of travelling to Ndola.
“Construction of the Mpika storage depot has been completed and the only thing impeding operations is the unavailability of a fire tender which will soon be allocated to the site,” she said.
Ms Mwansa said construction of a 15 million litre bulk fuel storage depot in Solwezi was at procurement stage while that of another 6.5 million litre petroleum terminal had progressed in Mongu.
“For the Solwezi one, the process is still at procurement stage, while a contractor is already on site paving access roads leading to the fuel storage depot that will be built in Mongu,” Ms Mwansa said.
She said the benefit of all these facilities was easy distribution of fuel to all parts of the country at a reduced cost and that,  the move will lessen intermediate shortages of fuel that the country experiences periodically.
Government invested K200 million for phase one of the bulk fuel storage facilities project, starting with four provinces namely; Muchinga, Lusaka, North Western and Western.
Recently, the 25 million litre bulk fuel storage depot was commissioned in Lusaka at a cost of K132 million.
The availability of these facilities would increase Zambia’s bulk fuel storage capacity to 100 million litres.