2005-12-05Staff Report 2 By Kae Matundu-Tjiparuro WINDHOEK DEALERS in Total oil products in Namibia need not stress and likewise motorists may go on holiday this Christmas and the New Year festive season with peace of mind and rest assured that come the 1st of January 2006 there will be replacement fuel for leaded petrol. Total technical expert, Kevin Moncur, assured the above to an audience of predominantly Total oil products dealers at a presentation in Windhoek on Tuesday. Moncur was part of Total's General Manager for Botswana, Lesotho and Namibia, Cecil Mahloko's, three-member information-sharing team that has been in Namibia this week on the Namibian leg of an information-cum-education road show. Similar shows have already taken place all over South Africa. The team which was accompanied by Total's Project Analyst, Marisa Barnard and by Total Namibia Managing Director, Mntu Ndivane, included Project Analyst, Marisa Barnard. The Ministry of Mines and Energy announced in the middle of this year that lead would no longer be added to petrol in the production process as from the 1st of January 2006 and oil companies would no longer market leaded petrol. Thus, as from the 1st of January 2006, 93 octane grades lead replacement petrol (LRP) will be available at all Total fuel stations in the country, totalling about 42. This is for cars that have been using leaded petrol and cannot be converted to use unleaded petrol. Moncur explained that the price of the lead replacement petrol would be the same as the price of unleaded petrol of the same octane. He said should by accident any car that does not use unleaded petrol be filled with unleaded petrol, this would not affect the car as one tank full of unleaded petrol cannot have an effect on a car that does not run on unleaded petrol. He advised in this event any motorists to proceed with this tankful of unleaded petrol and to refill with the lead replacement petrol at half tank. However, he advised against an unnecessary switch between unleaded petrol and lead replacement petrol. If motorists can help, he advised them to rather stick to one type of fuel that is compatible with their vehicles. Lead is being removed from petrol as emission from vehicle exhausts has the potential to affect human health adversely. It has been added to petrol to provide a high-octane level that prevents the car engine from knocking. Thus adding lead compounds to petrol was the most cost-effective way of boosting its octane rating. 2005-12-05Staff Report 2
