Dinah Nalubega, a lab technician at Vivo Energy Uganda explaining to journalists the several tests done on fuel products
Vivo Energy Uganda, the marketer and distributor of Shell-branded fuels and lubricants in Uganda, goes through an intricate process to deliver the quality products that customers enjoy to use.
On July 11, 2024, a group of business journalists had an exclusive guided tour of Vivo Energy’s facilities in Kampala, giving them an insight into the rigorous processes the company goes through to deliver superior fuel products.
Geoffrey Elyanu, the Supply and Distribution Manager at Vivo Energy Uganda, says while all suppliers of fuel products get the same base products (petrol, diesel, kerosene, etc), Vivo Energy’s petrol and diesel products are unique and of a superior quality.
“We differentiate our petrol, we differentiate our diesel,” says Elyanu, adding that their fuel products mainly come from Mombasa through Nairobi, Nakuru, Eldoret into Busia and then Kampala. He adds that other products come from Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.
“At each point, we ensure quality. We have storage terminals in Mombasa, Nairobi and throughout our supply chain right into Uganda. We track all our products through all these points where we have quality and quantity control. This is to ensure quality and quantity of our fuel products is not compromised,” he says.
He however noted that going forward, Vivo Energy will be getting “100% of our fuel products from Uganda National Oil Company (UNOC). He said about 80% of their fuel products come through Mombasa port.
“We shall continue importing our specialized products like V-Power, engine oil, lubricants etc. We bring these products by road using trucks. We uniquely package them as finished products and sell them in Uganda and export others to DRC, Rwanda and Burundi,” he says.
Inside Vivo Energy’s Tank Farm
Vivo Energy’s Tank Farm located along 8th Street in Industrial Area, Kampala, is a hive of activity with several trucks buzzing the site.
This Tank Farm receives between 20 to 30 trucks everyday. According to Vivo Energy, their storage facilities in the country (Kampala, Mbale and Busia) have capacity to accommodate 15 million litres of fuel, well enough to take through the country for two weeks in case of an emergency.
Dinah Nalubega, a lab technician at Vivo Energy Uganda, says they have the state-of-the art Laboratory that ensures that their fuel products (petrol and diesel) are unique and of a superior quality.
She says fuel distributors get the same base fuel products, but Vivo Energy Uganda goes an extra mile to ensure that the products are free from contamination.
She says when the fuel tanks arrive at the Tank Farm, they are tested to ensure the products meet the company’s quality standards. This is done on a daily basis.
“We look out for water. The fuel products shouldn’t be contaminated with water. We also test for the density of the fuel products,” Nalubega told journalists, adding that contaminated products are dangerous for car engines and can easily lead to fires.
At the lab, the fuel products also go through a distillation test.
“This is like the DNA of the fuel. We know petrol, diesel and kerosene are different products and so this test will tell us if there’s contamination,” she explains.
Unique products
Nalubega adds that Vivo Energy’s fuel products which are largely used by Shell service stations, are unique from others on the market because there are “additives that are added to our fuel products.”
The additives are recommended after thorough research conducted by Shell that has over 100 stations across Uganda.
“The additives are chemicals with many properties. That’s why our fuel products will give you extra miles compared to others,” she says, adding that they also have a mobile quality van that monitors the Shell branded stations on a daily basis to ensure quality products are served to customers.
Nalubega says during heavy rains, water can easily go into underground fuel tanks, thus leading to contamination.
“That’s why we use a deep stick on a daily basis to ensure the fuel products are not contaminated with water,” she says, adding that in case of contamination, water is always at the bottom/base since it’s more dense/heavier than any other fuel products.
“In case of contamination, water is pumped out and tests are done to ensure fuel products are free from any contamination,” she says.
She reveals that they rarely find their fuel products contaminated given the fact that they are tested before entering the country.
After the lab tour, journalists headed to Vivo Energy’s LPG section where gas cylinders (used for cooking) go through different checks before refilling them. This is to ensure quality and safety of customers.
When the cylinders arrive, they are sorted; others are recommended for repair while those deemed unsafe are declared scrap. Those that meet the standards are then refilled and returned to customers.
To ensure the environment is not harmed, Vivo Energy contracted a company that disposes unsafe items “in a controlled manner accepted by NEMA and recognized internationally.”
