P900m fuel storage facility takes off
FRANCISTOWN: The lead contractor for the expansion of the much anticipated P900 million Francistown fuel storage facility has finally been identified and work at the construction site (Dumela industrial area) will soon begin in full swing.
The contractor, Concorn-EH a joint venture, is currently mobilising and has been at the site for two weeks. This is according to the project manager, Kabelo Lanka. The custodian of the project is Botswana Oil while government provides funding.
Lanka, who is also a project engineer at Botswana Oil, was briefing stakeholders in Francistown this week. The facility will be expanded from a capacity of 30 million litres to 95 million litres to augment the existing two government storage facilities currently in use.
The main contractor will focus on building and civil works.
“The process of identifying a mechanical and electrical contractor for the project is underway. We are currently floating the tender and it will close in October. We will then move into the evaluation and adjudication stage before appointing the contractor. The contractor (mechanical and electrical) is expected to be onsite in march when much progress has been made. We are busy working on the procurement documents for the tank specialist,” he said.
The project is behind schedule but Lanka expressed optimism that it will be delivered. It is expected to be completed between March and April 2024.
“The project is at 43% against the targeted 50%. It was delayed by a few challenges that were experienced during the procurement process. I am confident that it will be delivered timely,” he said adding that measures will be put in place to ensure that the project is delivered as scheduled.
The plan to expand the storage facility in Francistown was initiated in 2017. Designs were then carried out but the project never took off because of lack of funds.
“A consultant was appointed to look at the design again (2017 designs) with a view to optimising them. The process started in September and was completed in December last year,” Lanka said.
The idea to expand the existing storage capacity for petrol and diesel in Francistown was to increase days of cover and ensure security of fuel supplies.
For years, the government has been under pressure to build or expand its strategic fuel supply points across the country. The impact of not having enough strategic fuel supplies has often put the country on a precarious position. In the recent past, Botswana has experienced patches of fuel supply challenges as a result of COVID-19 and the volatile supply chain challenges necessitated by the Ukraine-Russia war.
The government is also in the process of constructing a 171 million-litres fuel storage tank at Tshele Hills. The project also aims to increase the country’s strategic fuel reserves. The long-delayed project will be constructed through a Public Private Partnership model. However, with the world moving away from projects that may worsen carbon emissions, funding for the project is expected to be difficult to source.