Some 121,1 million litres of jet fuel have been secured for OR Tambo International Airport (JNB), following a potential shortage caused by the temporary closure of the National Petroleum Refiners of South Africa (Natref) Refinery.

The National Department of Transport announced that the “fuel headache has been resolved”, confirming that the airport now has the jet fuel needed to last until the refinery resumes production. 

The Fuels Industry Association of South Africa (FIASA) secured 50 million litres of jet fuel from various suppliers, allocating 19 million litres to JNB with the remaining supply going to the NATREF refinery. The Department of Transport announced the acquisition of an additional 71,1 million litres.

The total of these imports is more than the amount of fuel required, according to Acsa, which previously stated that JNB would need 97.2 million litres to remain operational until the Natref refinery reopened.

FIASA said airlines refuelling at Durban and Cape Town had helped reduce the demand for jet fuel at OR Tambo, further lowering the risk of a fuel crisis in early February. The association has asked airlines to continue to reduce demand where possible by implementing tankering strategies or refuelling at other airports to preserve OR Tambo’s reserves.

The additional fuel will be imported through the Port of Durban and is expected to arrive in two shipments scheduled for February 1 and February 10. All parties are now working on a logistics plan to ensure the imported fuel supply arrives at the airport in time to cater for the needs of airlines.

Acsa is in the process of engaging with the Department of Mineral and Petroleum Resources and its entities to acquire more fuel to build up a reserve for unforeseen circumstances such as delays, diversions or unexpected changes in flight conditions.