Johannesburg – Transnet’s long awaited Durban to Johannesburg pipeline that serves as a fuel pump has been finally complete.
Transnet has been working on this pipeline for 9 years now.
An official launch for this project was held this week. The new pipeline will replace the existing and ageing Durban-to-Johannesburg fuel pipeline.
Because the project took 9 years to be completed the costs jumped from R12.7 billion to R30.4 billion.
The Transnet CEO Siyabonga Gama said, “But our perseverance paid off and we are extremely proud of this project”.
The National Energy Regulator of South Africa (Nersa) decided to make an investigation to find out why the project had been so severely delayed, because Transnet had hoped to complete it by no later 2012.
Transnet told Nersa that the project has been affected by various factors like their contractor’s performance, contract management on Transnet’s part, inclement weather as well as industrial action.
Although the 555km pipeline first started transporting diesel in 2012, the full completion of the plant now enables the pipeline to move four petroleum products, including the two grades of petrol, unleaded 93 octane and unleaded 95 octane.
Gama also went on to say, “Our main function is to make sure that we move fuel to all parts of the country and this project will certainly achieve that”.
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