South Africa’s fuel industry has secured additional Jet A-1 imports and is arranging pipeline, rail and coastal movements to protect supplies to OR Tambo International Airport (ORTIA) during the anticipated disruption to production at the Natref refinery.
The outage is expected to affect jet fuel availability from around September 6 to October 4.
Fuel Industry Association of South Africa (FIASA) Head of Communications Phila Mzamo told Freight News that mitigation measures include sourcing replacement imports, coordinating pipeline and rail movements and monitoring stock throughout the supply chain.
“Industry participants are also working closely with government entities to facilitate the timely movement of imported products where required,” she said.
Mzamo confirmed that additional Jet A-1 imports have been secured to supplement the anticipated shortfall. However, the precise volume required is still being refined as supply plans and demand forecasts are updated.
“There are currently no fuel shortages in the market,” she said.
The contingency arrangements are particularly significant for ORTIA as, according to Airports Company South Africa (ACSA), Natref normally supplies between 70% and 80% of the airport’s jet fuel requirements.
ACSA said the airport currently has approximately five to six days of jet fuel cover and consumes an average of about 3 850 cubic metres a day.
Its contingency plan includes increasing coastal imports through Durban, optimising Transnet’s logistics capacity and arranging dedicated rail deliveries.
FIASA said sufficient import and terminal infrastructure is available to receive the additional Jet A-1 volumes already secured. The recent commissioning of two additional storage tanks at ORTIA also improved the operational flexibility of the airport’s fuel supply system.
However, pipeline capacity and scheduling remain important considerations. Industry stakeholders are working with Transnet Pipelines (TPL) and other logistics partners to optimise available transport capacity. The mitigation plan incorporates pipeline movements, coastal transfers and rail logistics.
TPL told Freight News that it could not disclose customer volumes, capacity allocations, operational requirements or commercial arrangements because of confidentiality agreements with the oil companies using its network.
TPL clarified that it does not own the fuel transported through its pipelines. It is participating in a joint task team involving industry, government, oil companies and ACSA to mitigate fuel security risks and maintain continuity of supply.
The industry is targeting a minimum of five days’ jet fuel cover at ORTIA throughout the Natref outage.
FIASA said contingency measures will remain available should Natref’s return to normal production be delayed beyond October 4.
Freight News requested confirmation from FIASA and Sasol on submission of the industry’s formal mitigation proposal to Transport Minister Barbara Creecy on August 31, as reported by the South African Government News Agency. Sasol said it will provide updates on Natref in due course.
