The supply of unleaded petrol and diesel in Cape Town was interrupted for several days due to an “operational upset” at Astron Energy’s refinery, SA’s only coastal refinery.
That incident highlighted risks associated with the Western Cape’s heavy reliance on this single refinery for fuel supply.
SA lost about 50% of its refining capacity over the past five years, and is now limited to a single coastal refinery and two inland refineries.
The fuel shortages in the economic hub, which appeared to have subsided by late Tuesday, saw scores of motorists struggling to get fuel in the city.
Astron said that it regretted the inconvenience caused, but did not elaborate on the reasons behind the disruptions.
“Astron Energy can confirm that due to operational upset, the supply of unleaded petrol and diesel products from our refinery in Cape Town has been impacted. We are pleased to confirm that the situation has been resolved and the refinery is fully operational, and we are able to meet demands going forward,” it said.
Astron owns and operates the country’s third-largest crude oil refinery in Cape Town, which has a daily nameplate crude processing capacity of 100,000l.
The Glencore-owned company supplies a sizeable quantity of SA’s fuel and lubricant needs, including those of the mining industry. In August, Glencore said that it had so far invested $175m in the Cape Town oil refinery and related projects after acquiring Astron Energy.
BP’s operations were also affected by fuel shortages. BP spokesperson Hamlet Morule said that its service stations were among those that had been affected by a shortage of unleaded petrol 95 (ULP95) in Cape Town, due to the “unplanned refinery outage”.
“To mitigate the unforeseen challenge, BPSA diverted a Mogas import vessel that was destined for Durban to Cape Town, to ensure security of supply.
“Unfortunately, the vessel has also [been] delayed by inclement weather conditions since October 19,” said Morule.
“BPSA is closely monitoring the situation, alongside the rest of the industry, to ensure customers can once again access ULP95 fuel once the refinery comes back online or the weather subsides.”
SA consumed 21-billion litres of petroleum products last year, facilitated by imports and its three operational refiners, according to FTI Consulting.
The country’s largest refinery, Sapref, which is in Durban, has not been operational since 2022 after floods damaged the 180,000-barrels-a-day facility. Its joint owners, BP and Shell, have since sold the plant, which was contributing 35% of SA’s refinery capacity, to the state-owned Central Energy Fund for R1.
The Competition Commission last month recommended approval of the deal.
Updated: October 22 2024
This story has been updated with new information
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.