East Timor’s Minister of Petroleum and Mineral Resources said on Monday that 80 million liters of diesel bought through a direct procurement process are expected to arrive in the country by the end of this month.
“We are working so that before the end of this month the ship carrying the fuel arrives in East Timor,” Francisco Monteiro told Lusa.
Asked where the fuel will be stored, the minister said the storage method will be “floating”.
“The ship will remain anchored in East Timor for as long as necessary,” he added.
Read more: Unthinkable: East Timor PM considers power cuts amid fuel concerns
Earlier in April, the East Timorese government approved an expenditure of 168.8 million US dollars (143.1 million euros) to purchase the diesel, mainly for the country’s power plants, amid concerns over supply disruptions linked to the conflict in the Middle East.
The government said the decision aims to create a strategic reserve with sufficient autonomy until the end of the year, given the risk of fuel shortages due to the ongoing conflict.
In late March, authorities had also introduced price caps on fuel products.
