Diesel crisis to persist
Feb 16, 2006
THE current diesel crisis might persist as oil companies battle with logistical problems compounded by increased consumption.
By Emmy Olaki
THE current diesel crisis might persist as oil companies battle with logistical problems compounded by increased consumption.
Shell’s country director Ivan Kyayonka said yesterday that the oil companies were not getting enough diesel from terminals in Kenya because of the limited transport capacity.
“At the moment, the problem is not limited availability of diesel, but a logistics difficulty. The pipeline capacity is stretched to the limit yet the Kenyan government does not allow us to transport oil products by road,†Kyayonka said.
“We have not fully recovered from supply problems that dogged the country last year. The rise in consumption resulting from the current power shortage has compounded the problem. If we were able to transport more diesel in other ways, we would not be having this problem,†he said.
Kyayonka said there were long-term efforts to increase the pipeline’s capacity to transport more diesel.
“The short-term plan would be to get our transporters acquire more trucks, but trucks are not bought like cars in Kampala,†he said.
“We also hope the railway concessioning goes ahead so that we use the line to transport some of our fuels,†Kyayonka said.
THE current diesel crisis might persist as oil companies battle with logistical problems compounded by increased consumption.
Shell’s country director Ivan Kyayonka said yesterday that the oil companies were not getting enough diesel from terminals in Kenya because of the limited transport capacity.
“At the moment, the problem is not limited availability of diesel, but a logistics difficulty. The pipeline capacity is stretched to the limit yet the Kenyan government does not allow us to transport oil products by road,†Kyayonka said.
“We have not fully recovered from supply problems that dogged the country last year. The rise in consumption resulting from the current power shortage has compounded the problem. If we were able to transport more diesel in other ways, we would not be having this problem,†he said.
Kyayonka said there were long-term efforts to increase the pipeline’s capacity to transport more diesel.
“The short-term plan would be to get our transporters acquire more trucks, but trucks are not bought like cars in Kampala,†he said.
“We also hope the railway concessioning goes ahead so that we use the line to transport some of our fuels,†Kyayonka said.