Following the Energy Regulation Board's (ERB) launch of fuel marking in Zambia on February 15th, 2018 in line with Statutory Instrument No. 69 of 2017, the ERB has been conducting fuel marking at inland depots, which include TAZAMA and selected Oil Marketing Companies facilities.
Following the Energy Regulation Board's (ERB) launch of fuel marking in Zambia on February 15th, 2018 in line with Statutory Instrument No. 69 of 2017, the ERB has been conducting fuel marking at inland depots, which include TAZAMA and selected Oil Marketing Companies facilities.
However, ERB will, with effect from 31 December 2022, commence conducting the fuel marking exercise at the border points. It is in view of this change that ERB requires the services of ZMA in quantifying the petroleum products being imported into the country.
Fuel marking is the process of adding an invisible bio-chemical substance in small and prescribed amounts to all legitimate fuel sold in the country. The fuel marker, which acts as a stamp or "fingerprint," is added to the fuel at all depots for the Government and selected Oil Marketing Companies to distinguish fuel destined for specific markets within the country such as mines and filling stations.
Further, the fuel marker assigns a unique identifier to each fuel product, allowing detection when the fuel is contaminated with transit or smuggled fuel, as well as other substandard substances.
The ZMA, being the national measurements regulator, oversees the application of measurements and measuring instruments used in the various sectors, critical among them, the petroleum sector.
The Agency would support the ERB's fuel marking activity by ensuring the accuracy of the declared quantity of the fuel product.
The information obtained will be critical for the ERB to determine the correct quantity of the fuel marker required for the declared quantity of the product.
This will be accomplished by verifying and inspecting the accuracy of the tanker trucks used to transport various fuel products for compliance.
The Agency, in collaboration with the ERB, is currently assessing the types of imported trucks in transit through the country to determine the relevant measuring techniques used by the various countries.
