09 Jul 2026

The country’s fuel storage capacity is envisaged to reach 55 days’ cover by the first quarter of the 2027/28 financial year.

This will be dependent on the commissioning of the Francistown Depot early next year and the Gantsi Depot, both of which are currently under construction.

Botswana Oil Limited (BOL) Senior Manager, Project Management Office, Mr Kabelo Lanka, said this during a media tour of the Gaborone BOL Depot on July 7.

“We hope and believe that by mid-next year, the country will be sitting comfortably at about 55 days’ cover, which will be a significant improvement from the current 15 days’ cover,” Mr. Lanka said.

He said the Francistown Depot was nearing completion, while work has started on the Gantsi Depot, adding that the two depots would take the country’s reserves to 55 days.

This figure excludes the Tshele Depot, which will be constructed under a Public-Private Partnership, pointing out that the government, through the Omani government, had secured a partner for the project.

Mr Lanka further stated that while fuel consumption was expected to increase and reduce strategic fuel capacity, it is envisaged that the Tshele project, upon completion, would increase reserves to 60 days by 2035.

He added that all the storage facilities would give the country 60 days’ cover, which would, however, be below the 90 days recommended by the feasibility study.

He said the storage facilities were strategically located as the country imports fuel from South Africa, Mozambique and Namibia.

“Gantsi will come in handy for Namibia imports, Francistown for Mozambique, and Tshele for South Africa,” he said, adding that the routes were diversified strategically to compensate for supply shortfalls identified in the feasibility study.

According to Mr Lanka, Francistown would have 98 million litres of storage, Gantsi 30 million litres with a future expansion of 25 million litres, and Tshele Hills 187 million litres.

He added that most of the country’s fuel demand was in the southern part of the country and further said the country was looking at building coastal storage in Namibia, revealing further that the project was still at an infant stage.

 For his part, BOL Head of Health, Safety, Security, Environment and Quality (HSSEQ), Mr Ronny Orlando stated that the organisation ensured there was quality in the fuel it imported into the country.

He said fuel was subjected to tests to meet set standards before loaded into storage, adding that a quality framework was in place.

“Any fuel that is suspect is taken for further assessment to ensure it meets the required quality,” he said. ENDS