Phase one of increased tank farm storage lauded
Vopak has also invested in community programmes to assist underprivileged school children in the area.
THE first phase of the Vopak strategic expansion programme at Island View was completed last week amid much fanfare.
Independent tank storage provider Vopak SA, a subsidiary of Dutch-based Royal Vopak, unveiled its expansion in a bid to increase fuel supply in conjunction with Transnet’s New Multi-Product Pipeline (NMPP) between Durban and Gauteng.
The expansions will improve the availability of fuel supply and enable the import of cleaner fuels to the country.
Due to land availability constraints in the Port of Durban, lateral expansion was not an option, so increased storage capacity on already-leased land was implemented.
Vopak has also invested in community programmes to assist underprivileged school children in the area.
Nineteen small tanks at the Farewell-King site were removed and replaced with eight larger storage tanks, with a storage capacity to be increased in phases to 234,200cbm.
“It’s another great example of the excellent economic relations between our two countries – as I have seen many during this trade mission. It proves the commitment of Dutch businesses in South Africa for the long term,” said Netherlands prime minister, Mark Rutte.
Tanks at the Fynn site will also be replaced at a later date. The current storage capacity of 9,000cbm will be increased to 64,000cbm.
Improved security features at the sites will include e-Noses, overfull protection on all taps and early warning systems to ensure the safety of the workers and local communities.
Vopak has also invested in community programmes to assist underprivileged school children in the area.
