By Pawlos Belete 
Jonathan Molapo (Photo: Capital Ethiopia)
Jonathan Molapo (Photo: Capital Ethiopia)

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia Total Ethiopia, the oldest stakeholders in the retail fuel and lubricant business of Ethiopia, is going to relocate its head office as its current HQ is right in the line of the under construction Addis Ababa City Light Railway. The rail project will demolish more than half of the company’s headquarters adjacent to the Gotera Interchange.

The company has already rented a four-storey building around the African Union Commission (AUC) according to Jonathan Molapo, Chairman of Total Ethiopia.

“The country is growing at a fast pace and the momentum of that development is increasing. A number of big development projects are underway in this country and we have to embrace it to reap its benefits. The challenges we face in relocating our HQ due to the railway infrastructure development is comparatively small to the benefit we accrue from it,” said Molapo.

Total Ethiopia is building a state-of-the-art depot at a cost of 10 million euro around Dukem, a town located in  the Oromia Regional state, 37 kilometers southeast of Addis Ababa. When completed in December 2013, the new facility will have the capacity to store more than 4,200m3 of benzene, 2,100m3 of diesel, 650m3 of kerosene, 650m3 of lubricants, 400m3 of ethanol and 100 tons liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) stored in gas cylinders.

The company is currently distributing three types of d.light solar lamps. The lamps have the capacity to light up the dark from eight to 100 hours non-stop. The lamps can also be used to charge mobile phones in case of a power blackout. The solar lamps are available in all service stations of the company. Total Ethiopia has also introduced environment-friendly oil tanker technology.

Read more: Capital Ethiopia