Comoros Moves to Revive Stalled Hoani Fuel Depot
Comoros says work on the stalled Hoani fuel depot in Moheli should restart soon, a move that could give the island up to six months of fuel. The post Comoros Moves to Revive Stalled Hoani Fuel Depot appeared first on The Rio Times .
The Comorian energy minister has expressed hope that construction on the Hoani fuel depot, located on Moheli, the smallest island in the Comoros archipelago, will resume soon. The depot, once completed, would be capable of storing up to 4,500 cubic metres of fuel, which equates to approximately 1.19 million US gallons or over 100 standard road-tanker loads. The depot's tanks would be specifically designed to hold diesel, petrol, kerosene, jet fuel, and a separate water tank.
The minister, Aboubacar Said Anli, visited the site on Friday, 9 October, to inspect the progress and report back to the government, with the aim of restarting the project. According to him, most of the major construction has already been completed, with only minor adjustments remaining to be made. The depot's capacity is primarily intended to serve flights to Moheli, with a single tank dedicated to jet fuel.
SCH, the state fuel company, claims that the current national stocks of fuel will need to be resupplied every 45 days, making a larger buffer essential to mitigate the risk of shortages during delayed deliveries.
The mini-port at Hoani, built by Arab Contractor, is also planned to be utilized by the depot. However, the project's cost, original start date, and completion date have not been disclosed, as well as the specific reason for the initial halt in construction. The claim that landowners have not been compensated for the land taken for the project remains unverified.
The capacity and supply figures provided are based on information from the state-owned daily Al-Watwan, the minister, and SCH, rather than from a published government document.
The next steps involve filling the tanks with water to check for leaks, followed by a seabed survey and a navigation plan to determine where tankers can berth. The final restart date will depend on the minister's report to the government and resolving the water supply to the site. As of now, the project remains a plan, waiting for confirmation before any construction can commence.
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