Namcor accused of supplying substandard fuel to Botswana and Namibia as engine damage fears rise

The oil was allegedly imported by Puma, which Namcor recently contracted to supply the national oil storage facility.

Some of Namcor’s oil was sold on to Botswana Oil (Namcor’s equivalent), which raised the alarm that the oil quality was substandard, according to correspondence seen by The Namibian.

Botswana Oil became aware of the problem following routine quality tests of seven trucks carrying ULP95 that were loaded at the Namcor terminal at Walvis Bay.

The tests indicated that the fuel did not meet product specifications, with results outside acceptable limits for octane rating (expressed as RON).

Botswana Oil notified its Namibian counterpart that “the ULP95 trucks loaded from the Namcor terminal on 5 and 7 January 2026 do not meet product specification”.

This is according to email correspondence dated 11 January.

Puma did not respond to questions by the time of going to print yesterday.

The version and testing results of the fuel are in dispute.

Namcor sources believe the allegations are part of a smear campaign against the corporation.

THE DETAILS

Sources say the rest of the lower-grade fuel may have entered Namibia’s retail network at Namcor and Puma fuel stations.
Using low-quality fuel, which has a lower octane rating or contains contaminants, could severely damage car and machine engines.

This allegedly happened to Namibia Wildlife Resorts vehicles and machinery after using fuel from Angola.

“I’m not aware of any dirty ULP making the rounds in Namibia,” chairperson of the Fuel and Franchise Association of Namibia Michael Ludeke said yesterday.

The association represents the downstream fuel industry such as service station owners, and says they have not received any report of substandard or dirty fuel.

The Namibian sent questions to both the minister and executive director of mines and energy, but received no response by the time of going to print.
THE SOURCE

Two oil tankers discharged their fuel into the Namcor terminal around the same time: the MT Zahra on 4 January and the MT Ulysses I on 8 January, according to email correspondence seen by The Namibian.

The terminal is an oil storage facility, where oil from tankers enters before it can be loaded to tanker trucks.

Sources involved in transporting the fuel say the substandard fuel was transported by MT Zahra.

Botswana Oil compared fuel from MT Zahra to loads it received on 8 January. The latter met all specifications.

This has led to questions about the quality of the fuel in Namcor’s storage tank between 4 and 8 January.

Namcor’s oil comes from several tankers and is mixed before leaving the facility.

The corporation has its own quality standards and tests in place at the facility.

Namcor last Tuesday said it was waiting for the results of tests on a sample of oil in the tank after the MT Zahra discharge.

“Namcor is waiting for full specs results . . . and will communicate once that is received,” a Namcor official said on 20 January.

Namcor spokesperson Utaara Hoveka yesterday said at the time of the Zahra’s arrival, there was already a product in Namcor’s tanks which met product specifications.

Before the discharge of Zahra’s product, Namcor received quality certification for it, confirming that it met all specifications, he said.

“We have multiple clients who bought products, and there is no other concern raised. In fact, the incident is alleged to have taken place between 5 and 7 January, yet the same client continued to uplift the product.

“It must further be noted that the product concerns a cross-border transaction. However, it met all specifications when it it was uploaded from us,” Hoveka said.

He said the product underwent basic standard tests as per industry standard operating procedures and before discharge.

“However, the machinery used within the oil and gas industry for undertaking tests on the product is the ASTDM-approved equipment in the name of RON Engine, which to our knowledge is only available at the Intertek facilities in Durban,” he said.

Hoveka said Namcor remains committed to business and industry standards.

In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.