By CHATULA KANGALI –
INDENI Petroleum Refinery Limited   has submitted a proposal to Government to commence the production of low sulfur diesel.
The company is currently processing crude oil into diesel, petrol, jet fuel, kerosene, Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and fuel oil.
Company safety manager Greyson Phiri said the company submitted a proposal to sponsors for the procurement of a diesel hydro treater that will be used to de-sulfurise the diesel produced.
Mr Phiri said there was an increasing demand on the local market on the use of low sulfur diesel which the company was not producing.
He said at the Zambia International Trade Fair that the country was currently importing low sulfur diesel.
“There is demand for use of low sulfur diesel in the country, we have proposed to our sponsors and stakeholders on the need to put up a hydro treator that will remove the high sulfur from diesel and enable us produce low sulfur diesel,” he said.
Mr Phiri said the company was supplying 50 per cent of the diesel in the country.
He said the  company  had  also  proposed  to Government   to start  producing light gasoline and the procurement of  a  hydro cracker that will  allow  the company   run fuel separately.
He said the company had over the years modernized its plant and has since reduced the liability of man power.
Mr Phiri said the company was currently producing  its  own  power for  operations  through the  diesel generators.
He said the generators were currently producing five MegaWatts of power which was sufficient to run the plant.