By Abel Zhakata
MUTARE – It is not economically viable to resuscitate the Feruka Oil Refinery in Mutare which was shut down around 1966 because the plant is now aged and does not have the capacity to meet market demands of the 21st century, it has emerged.
This was revealed during a familiarisation tour of the refinery last Friday by the Minister of Energy and Power Development, Dzikamai Mavhaire, and his deputy, Engineer Munacho Mutezo.
The revelation has dealt a heavy blow to hundreds of job-seekers in the eastern border city who had pinned hopes of getting employment once the oil plant was reopened. During the tour, Mavhaire asked if the plant could be brought back to life and create employment downstream.
However, oil industry experts with CMPZ, the National Oil Infrastructure Company of Zimbabwe, and Petrozim Line, said forensic studies that were done long back showed that importing oil products was cheaper than resuscitating the refinery.
“Can’t we look for partners to invest in the resuscitation of the refinery for there will be job-creation and we will save millions of dollars on fuel imports? We will find partners, but we should conduct extensive research with regard to the state of affairs of the refinery. We want to know what needs to be done and come up with possible monetary requirements that are required to run this plant,” asked Mavhaire.
An expert with NOIC replied: “As we speak, 66 percent of the components at the refinery are in good shape. They are operational. More attention is needed with regard to the electrical components of the plant that need servicing. However, studies done long back showed that it is not viable to operate the refinery.
First, factories that supplied components of this refinery closed shop long back and it will be difficult to get spares. Secondly, the volume of the end products that will be produced if we are to reopen the refinery does not sustain this plant if they are sold.
Thirdly, it is costly to pump crude oil into the refinery from Beira in Mozambique because it is denser than just to pump diesel and petrol. Lastly, some of the end products of the refinery like sulphur pose serious environmental hazards.”
The experts said the refinery could be best used for research and academic purposes.
“Students from universities can use these facilities and other research institutions because some components of the plant can work if they are given some attention,” said the experts.
Mavhaire was also familiarised with the operations of the CMPZ pipeline that transports fuel from Beira to Mutare as well as the Petrozim Line that carries the product from Mutare to Harare.
CPMZ station manager Mr Henry Saungweme said electricity blackouts were affecting operations in Mozambique resulting in the reduction of the quantity of fuel that is pumped to Mutare.
“Whenever there are blackouts, we use diesel power which is less efficient and this affects the quantity of fuel that we pump to Mutare.”
He also said the conveyance capacity of the current pipeline which was built in the 1960s was not matching fuel demands of this age.
The pipeline needs to be upgraded, he said.
A senior official with Petrozim Line, Mrs Katsande, said her company was pumping an average of 4 million litres of fuel per day from Mutare to Harare.
The pipeline is 408km long.
Mavhaire also visited the Zesa Megawatt Building in Mutare Central Business District where he was appraised with the operations of the power utility’s eastern region as well as the challenges and achievements realised.
Senior Zanu-PF officials in Manicaland, who include Central Committee member Isau Mupfumi, secretary for administration Kenneth Saruchera and secretary for legal affairs Misheck Mugadza, were part of the touring team. Manica Post
