Total Garage located in Baobab suburb, Hwange has been fined US$500 by the Hwange Magistrates’ Court for violating Section 3(b) of the SI 171/2014 Petroleum Fuel Quality Amendment regulations.
On December 27, 2024, the garage blended unleaded petrol with more than 25% ethanol instead of the required 80% unleaded petrol to 20% ethanol ratio.
The value of the non-compliant fuel was US$17,880.
COMOIL was recently fined US$250 by the Lupane Magistrates’ Court for selling petrol with an ethanol content exceeding the legally allowed limit.
This violation of the E20 ZWS 964 standards, which cap ethanol content at 20%, was discovered during a routine inspection by the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) on December 6, 2024. 
Samples collected from COMOIL’s Lupane station revealed ethanol levels above 50%, which was later confirmed by the Zimbabwe Standards Authority (SAZ), leading to the sealing of tanks containing the non-compliant fuel.

Pindula News

Total Garage in Hwange was fined US$500 for putting too much ethanol in their petrol in December 2024. They should have had 80% petrol and 20% ethanol, but had more ethanol. The bad fuel was worth US$17,880. Another gas station, COMOIL, was fined US$250 for the same thing in Lupane. The Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority found ethanol levels over 50% in their petrol, instead of the allowed 20%. The gas station's tanks were sealed for having wrong petrol. Don't put too much ethanol in your petrol or you could get fined!

Total Service Station Fined US$500 For Excessive Ethanol Content In Their Petrol

COMOIL (Pvt) Ltd, a fuel retailer, has been found guilty by the Lupane Magistrates’ Court of selling petrol with ethanol content exceeding the legally allowed limit.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the company was represented in court by supervisor Livingstone Mubvumbi (42).
The Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) inspected the Lupane Station on December 6, 2024, and tested fuel samples that revealed ethanol content above 50%, violating the E20 ZWS 964 standards.
Tanks containing the non-compliant fuel were sealed, and further verification by the Standards Authority of Zimbabwe (SAZ) confirmed the breach.
The company was charged under SI 23/2013 and SI 171/2014 for failing to comply with fuel quality regulations and was fined US$250.

COMOIL sold petrol with too much ethanol in it, which is against the rules. The company was caught because the fuel had more than 50% ethanol content. They were inspected and confirmed to have broken the law. The company had to pay a fine of US$250 for not following fuel quality regulations. The supervisor, Livingstone Mubvumbi, represented COMOIL in court. The company was found guilty by the Lupane Magistrates' Court.

COMOIL Fined US$250 For Exceeding Ethanol Limit In Petrol. Ethanol Content Was Above 50%.

Information, Publicity, and Broadcasting Services Minister Jenfan Muswere has said the government has not banned the sale of unleaded fuel in the country.
The government recently announced regulations mandating that all unleaded petrol sold in Zimbabwe be blended with ethanol, as outlined in Statutory Instrument 150 of 2024, published on August 30 in the Government Gazette.
At the time, Energy and Power Development Minister Edgar Moyo said that the changes were made in consultation with the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA).
However, during the National University of Science and Technology’s 11th Annual International Conference on Communication and Information Science, Muswere clarified that “no policy position exists” regarding a ban on unleaded fuel. He said (via NewsDay):
<blockquote>
The first question is about unleaded fuel. And the response is firstly, I am the official government spokesperson.
There have been discussions around this issue, but the government of Zimbabwe makes science-based decisions.
When we had our discussions some few weeks ago, His Excellency directed that whatever discussions (that) revolved around unleaded fuel, the discussions had not been comprehensive enough and that it was not government position to ban unleaded fuel…
The second item is that in the majority of cases, there has been a taxation loophole around the importation of unleaded fuel.
</blockquote>
Muswere said that discussions were held among stakeholders regarding the blending ratios and how combining petrol with ethanol could economically benefit the country. He said:
<blockquote>
The rational sense also in part of the discussions around the blending ratios.
The more a country is able, in terms of human capital development, to research, to come up with a blending ratio and reduce its import bill and create employment, the better for the country.
The more a country exports than it imports, it generates a positive balance of trade. But the official government position is that no policy position exists.
</blockquote>
The promulgation of Statutory Instrument 150 of 2024 sparked national outrage as motorists argued that they should have the freedom to choose their preferred fuel type instead of being forced to purchase blended petrol.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

The government did not ban unleaded petrol in Zimbabwe, even though they were going to mix it with ethanol. They talked about blending petrol with ethanol to help the country's economy. But the government now says there is no official plan to ban unleaded fuel. The decision to blend petrol with ethanol caused anger among drivers who wanted the choice to buy pure petrol. The government is discussing how to make the country's economy better while still giving people the freedom to choose their fuel.

Government Reverses Decision On Unleaded Petrol Ban

The government has announced new regulations making it mandatory for all unleaded petrol sold in the country to be blended with ethanol.
Statutory Instrument 150 of 2024, published on Friday, August 30, in the Government Gazette, states that these regulations will come into effect next week.
<blockquote>
IT is hereby notified that the Minister of Energy and Power Development, after consultation with the Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority has, in terms of section 57(1) of the Petroleum Act [Chapter 13:22], made the following regulations:-
1. These regulations may be cited as the Petroleum (Mandatory Blending of Anhydrous Ethanol with Unleaded Petrol) (Amendment) Regulations, 2024 (No. 6).
2. Section 3 of the Petroleum (Mandatory Blending of Anhydrous Ethanol with Unleaded Petrol) Regulations, 2013, published in Statutory Instrument 17 of 2013, is repealed and substituted by the following-
“3. (1) These regulations shall apply to all unleaded petrol imported into Zimbabwe.
(2) Subsection (1) shall come into operation seven days from the date of publication of these regulations.”
</blockquote>
Governments make fuel blending mandatory for several reasons. These include:
<ul>
<li>Blending petrol with ethanol can reduce harmful emissions, contributing to cleaner air and lower greenhouse gas emissions.</li>
<li>Utilising domestically produced ethanol can reduce dependence on imported fossil fuels, enhancing energy security.</li>
<li>Mandating fuel blending can create a stable market for agricultural products, such as sugarcane, which are used to produce ethanol.</li>
<li>It can stimulate local industries, including biofuel production, creating jobs and boosting the economy.</li>
<li>Ethanol can improve the octane rating of fuel, potentially enhancing engine performance and fuel efficiency.</li>
<li>Making blending mandatory aligns with broader goals of transitioning to renewable energy sources and reducing carbon footprints.</li>
</ul>
However, opposition politician Linda Masarira has criticised the new regulations, arguing that motorists should have the freedom to choose their preferred fuel type instead of being forced to purchase blended petrol. She posted on X:
<blockquote>
This change will not sit well with many motorists. As of next week, unleaded fuel will no longer be available for purchase.
I believe this move is misguided, as consumers should have the freedom to choose their preferred fuel type. Forcing a specific type of fuel on consumers is an overreach.
</blockquote>
Hopewell Chin’ono, a government critic, said the new regulations reflect corruption, claiming that local ethanol is sold at excessively high prices, which makes Zimbabwe’s blended petrol more expensive than unleaded petrol in the region. He wrote on X:
<blockquote>
Emmerson Mnangagwa’s regime has banned the sale of unleaded petrol in Zimbabwe using statutory instrument 150 of 2024. Why?
The answer is very simple, his close friend Billy Rautenbach owns Greenfuels, which blends petrol and makes millions a day from blended petrol.
Zimbabwe had an opportunity to get cheaper ethanol from Brazil for 80 cents if it wanted to blend its petrol, but Billy used his political connections to secure a monopoly.
Very few politicians will talk about this because they were bribed. So, banning unleaded fuel is meant to protect Billy’s interests.
In other countries, ethanol is 80 cents a litre, but Billy is selling it at US$1.20 a litre or more. Blended petrol is meant to be cheaper, but blended fuel in Zimbabwe is more expensive than unleaded in the region!
</blockquote>
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

The government is making all unleaded petrol have ethanol. This rule starts next week. An opposition politician, Linda Masarira, is against this rule. She thinks people should choose their own petrol. The government says this is to help the environment and save money. Many people may not like this change.

Government Bans Sale Of Unblended Petrol

President Emmerson Mnangagwa commissioned a six million litre ethanol storage and handling facility at the National Oil Infrastructure Company (NOIC) in Harare on Tuesday, 07 November, reported <a href="https://www.zbcnews.co.zw/?p=16592">ZBC News</a>.
Officially commissioning the facility in Mabvuku, President Mnangagwa revealed that the two ethanol storage and handling facilities were installed with a capacity of three million litres each. He said:
<blockquote>
This flagship infrastructure project, which was constructed at a cost of US$7.3 million, consists of storage and handling tanks with a capacity of six million litres as well as attendant ancillary facilities.
As a result, our national storage and handling capacity of ethanol is set to increase by over 100 per cent from 5.2 million litres to about 11.2 million litres. These are spread across the country at Msasa, Feruka and Bulawayo depots.
South Africa and Botswana are eager we facilitate the supply of fuel to them through our infrastructure and another pipeline to supply northern parts of South Africa.
To this end, the Mabvuku depot has not been dedicated to the redelivery of fuel to surrounding markets, resulting in increased efficiency.
Consequently, players in the fuel transport sector servicing the regional countries have largely been loaded out at this key installation.
This has enabled the National Oil Infrastructure Company of Zimbabwe to achieve a record volume of throughput of fuel pumping on the pipeline of 1.93 billion litres in 2022.
Over and above this, and in line with our Devolution and Decentralisation Policy, NOIC has acquired a depot in Bulawayo to facilitate the bulk dispensing of fuel to clients in the southern region.
</blockquote>
President Mnangagwa commended NOIC for completing the first phase of the project to construct holding facilities for 2000 metric tons of Liquefied Petroleum Gas.
He said this has increased the company’s storage capacity of Liquefied Petroleum Gas to over 5000 metric tons, thereby ensuring sufficient buffer stocks and averting stock-outs.
The President also said NOIC and Companhia do Pipeline Mozambique – Zimbabwe Limitada (CPMZ) are synchronising the capacity upgrade of the Feruka Pipeline to increase its capacity from the current 2.19 billion litres of liquid fuel per annum to5 billion litres per annum in 2025.
More: <a href="https://www.pindula.co.zw/">Pindula News</a>

Mnangagwa Commissions US$7.3 Million Ethanol Facilities

The Zimbabwe Anti Corruption Commission has reportedly intercepted a South African bound truck belonging to the ethanol producer Green Fuels after it was flagged as possible contraband, Sunday News reports.
The truck that was carrying 30 000 litres of sanitizer liquid was intercepted after it had been cleared by Zimra and according to the publication it is being investigated if it is indeed carrying sanitizer liquid and not ethanol.
The commission reportedly intercepted the truck following a tip-off by a whistleblower. The investigation was confirmed by the ZACC Chairlady and The Special Anti-Corruption Unit in the Office of the President and Cabinet (Sacu) chair Mr Tabani Mpofu who said:
<blockquote>I can confirm that a consignment was indeed intercepted at Beitbridge Boarder Post and has been taken for further investigations as we referred the matter to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission</blockquote>
Green Fuels, when contacted for comment, denied any wrongdoing and said:
<blockquote>Our truck was impounded on wrong suspicions because we were doing everything properly. We have the approvals from Zimra to export to Sadc countries. There is nothing amiss</blockquote>
According to sources close to the development, there was a disparity in the alcohol percentages of the intercepted shipment.
More: <a href="https://www.sundaynews.co.zw/zacc-pounces-on-ethanol-producer/">Sunday News </a>

ZACC Intercepts Green Fuels' Truck At Beitbridge Border Post After It Was Flagged As Contraband

The Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (ZERA) has reversed its decision to reduce mandatory blending from 20% to 10% as communicated earlier in the day.
In its latest announcement on Thursday evening, ZERA said the 20% blending level has been reinstated with immediate effect. Below is the statement:
<blockquote>NOTICE TO FUEL SECTOR LICENSES 
BLENDING RATIO
Further to the earlier communication reducing blending levels from 20% to 10%, consultations were held with the government and ethanol suppliers indicating that the 20% blending level can be sustained.
Kindly disregard the earlier circular and continue to blend at 20%.
5 December 2019</blockquote>
<img decoding="async" src="https://cy4ad5.c2.acecdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/ELCu_Q8WsAAKNvP.jpeg"/>

JUST IN: ZERA Makes U-turn On Ethanol Blending, Reinstates 20%

The Zimbabwe Energy Regulation Authority (ZERA) says it has reduced mandatory blending of petrol with ethanol from E20 to E10. It, however, did not give reasons for the new policy. Below is the statement from ZERA:
<blockquote>NOTICE TO THE FUEL SECTOR OPERATORS – BLENDING RATIO
Please be advised that the level of the blending of anhydrous ethanol with unleaded petrol has been reduced from E20 to E10.
Implementation is with immediate effect
5 December 2019.</blockquote>
<img alt="Image" decoding="async" src="https://pbs.twimg.com/media/ELBX65KXUAQ7OWT?format=jpg&amp;name=small"/>

ZERA Announces Reduction In Level Of Ethanol Blending {Full Text}

<blockquote>The Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority’s (ZERA) attention has been drawn to some comments being made and circulated on social media concerning the quality of fuel in Zimbabwe and its fuel economy.
ZERA wishes to advise the public that 90% of petroleum fuel used in Zimbabwe comes by pipeline from Beira to Feruka, Mabvuku and Msasa depots where it is subjected to strict quality tests before release into the market. All petrol coming by pipeline is blended with ethanol to a gazetted level, currently 20%, at NOIC or at licensed blending sites.
In the market, ZERA consistently conducts routine quality inspections at all fuel service stations across the country and prosecutes offending operators.
From January 2019 to August 2019, the average compliance rate to fuel quality standards was 99.2% across the country with only one site being prosecuted for having contaminated diesel.
ZERA wishes to assure the public that the blending ratio of unleaded petrol and ethanol obtaining in the market is consistent across the country and is in line with ZWS964:3 standard E20 for blending.
Blending petrol with ethanol has helped to hold down the rate of increase in petrol price. Without blending, the pump price of unleaded petrol would be significantly higher than it is now.
The Authority is aware that during periods of product supply constraints, as is obtaining now, some filling stations may be tempted to engage in illegal and unethical practices for personal gain.
ZERA is carrying out joint monitoring operations with key stakeholders such as the Trade Measures Department to detect and deter any malpractices in the sector.
Consumers are encouraged to report suspicious operators in time to enable prompt investigations and corrective action.
Consumers are also urged to avoid buying fuel from unlicensed fuel vendors whose product quality cannot be assured and may have been tampered with.
 </blockquote>

FULL TEXT: ZERA Addresses Concerns Over Quality Of Petrol Blend

The government recently increased the mandatory blending of unleaded petrol from five per cent ethanol to 10 per cent.
Speaking soon after the government made the announcement through an extraordinary Government Gazette, Zimbabwe Energy Regulatory Authority (Zera) chief executive Engineer Eddington Mazambani said:
<blockquote>The country had a low ethanol supply and Government reduced the blend level to five per cent. Because of the improved availability, the Government has increased the level of 10 per cent. This increase will obviously impact on our fuel import bill, although in a minimal way.</blockquote>
Norton Member of Parliament, Temba Mliswa (Independent) claims that fuel companies use different blending ratios. Below is his list of fuel traders and the percentage of ethanol used:
<blockquote>ETHANOL CONTENT IN YOUR FUEL 
GLOW dilutes with 18% 
PUMA dilutes with 21% 
ZUVA it’s 32% 
TOTAL dilutes with 9% 
ENGEN dilutes with 21% where’s the consistency &amp; doesn’t such discrepancies damage cars?</blockquote>

Cars At Risk Due To Different Ethanol Blending Ratios - Mliswa

Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe governor John Mangudya on Thursday told Parliament that blending of ethanol with fuel has been saving the country millions of dollars.
Mangudya appeared before the Joel Gabbuza-led Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Energy, together with Energy minister Joram Gumbo, to speak on the fuel situation in the country. Legislators asked him to explain if there was enough ethanol in the country to supplement fuel imports. Said Mangudya::
<blockquote>Our fuel consumption patterns have been such that if we were to consume 50 million litres of fuel, we would mix it with ethanol and, therefore, make savings of about $10 million because we have 20% ethanol going into fuel.</blockquote>
More: <a href="https://www.newsday.co.zw/2019/03/ethanol-blending-saves-zim-millions-mangudya/">NewsDay</a>

Zimbabwe Saves Millions Due To Ethanol Blending- Mangudya

Secretary for Energy and Power Development Partson Mbiriri said that The National Oil Infrastructure Company of Zimbabwe (NOIC) is targeting to complete the construction of two ethanol storage tanks with a capacity of 6 million litres at its Mabvuku Depot in Harare by end of December this year.
NOIC said the fuel storage gantry, which comes as Government presses ahead with ethanol blending to cut the cost of petroleum imports amid worsening foreign currency shortages, will be constructed at a cost of $6 million.
 
Said Mbiriri :
<blockquote>Construction of two ethanol storage tanks at the Mabvuku Depot with total capacity of 6 million litres, which is scheduled to be completed by December 31, 2018 was one of many projects NOIC is executing</blockquote>
More: <a href="https://www.herald.co.zw/6m-ethanol-project-takes-shape/" rel="noopener" target="_blank">Herald</a>

Fuel Latest News

Latest Jobs