THE KZN Department of Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs (Edtea) has finally granted Vopak SA and SA-based Reatile Chemicals environmental authorisation for the construction of a huge gas and chemical terminal in Richards Bay.
Vopak SA is the subsidiary of 400-year-old Dutch-based storage and transshipment giant Royal Vopak.
The nod comes almost three years after the company first submitted a draft scoping report for the facility on a 15.8ha site at the South Dunes Precinct of the port.
The Vopak-Reatile Richards Bay bulk liquid storage and handling facility will consist of 45 tanks, which will store liquid petroleum gas (LPG), as well as clean petroleum products (CPP) and chemicals, including acetone, diesel, ethanol, fuel oil, petrol, paraffin and sulphuric acid.
Storage capacity of the tanks envisaged range from 1 000m³ to 20 000m³.
The plant will be developed in phases, with the initial phase providing approximately 36 000m³ of storage capacity, and further phases providing up to 264 000m³ additional storage capacity.
Once completed, the terminal will have a total storage capacity of approximately 300 000m³.
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 a main office building, 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,’ Vopak Project
Director Hans Dilweg told the Zululand Observer in 2015 after submitting its final environmental impact assessment to Edtea.
‘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.’
Motivation
Vopak SA, which already has a facility in Durban, stated it aims to shore up more fuel supply to meet SA’s increasing demand for petroleum products and facilitate the import of cleaner fuels to SA.
Its local operations will tap into the Transnet New Multi-Product Pipeline (NMPP) between Durban and Gauteng.
Owing to the lack of land available at the Durban port for expansion of its existing plant, the company decided to invest in facilities in Richards Bay where it is ‘ideally located’ 180km from Durban.
‘Richards Bay also provides additional import and export capacity which is beneficial for the development of the local fuels industry,’ Vopak said.
Royal Vopak currently operates a total of 84 terminals in 31 countries worldwide.
HAVE YOUR SAY
Like our Facebook page and follow us on Twitter.
For news straight to your phone invite us:
WhatsApp – 072 069 4169
Instagram – zululand_observer
