Final stretch for Richards Bay oil depot
Final EIA report for oil tank farm has now been submitted to the Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs.
AFTER a mountain of preparation work, a final Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report for a massive oil tank farm at the Port of Richards Bay has now been submitted to the Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs.
Vopak-Reatile, the world’s largest independent liquid bulk tank storage service provider of oil products, chemicals and gasses, will occupy a combined land area of 15.8ha to accommodate infrastructure on 300 000m³ with 36 000m³ storage capacity.
Further phases will provide up to 264 000m³ additional room for petroleum and gas products.
Vopak management also revealed it hopes to build 45 storage tanks on the earmarked site adjacent to the Richards Bay Coal Terminal (RBCT), to keep stock of Liquid Petroleum Gas (LPG), and a mix of Clean Petroleum Products (CPP) and chemicals.
Once completed, the proposed terminal will have a total storage capacity of approximately 300 000m³.
‘The final storage capacity of the proposed terminal would, however, ultimately be based on future growth and demand in the market,’ said Vopak Project Director Hans Dilweg at a public meeting.
The Transnet National Ports Authority (TNPA) will provide rail and road infrastructure for the terminal within the South Dunes of the harbour.
Products stored on site will include acetone, diesel, ethanol, fuel oil, LPG, petrol, paraffin and sulphuric acid.
To transfer liquid imported by ship to berths 208 and 209, the company will set up a marine loading arm, road and rail loading bays and weighbridges.
Buildings on site will include the main office building, a canteen, cabins, firefighting station, laboratory, control room and maintenance workshop.
‘We anticipate that the construction process, which will last two years, will create 350 to 400 jobs,’ said Dilweg.
‘We will of course look at employing local companies, but this will depend on how they rate in safety compliance and on availability of special skills required.’
Vopak operates a total of 84 terminals in 31 countries worldwide with a combined storage capacity of approximately 29.9 million m³.
In South Africa, the group has four sites which operate as a single terminal in Durban.
