BP Marine has unveiled a new $15 million (Dh55 million) bunkerage storage facility at Salalah Port in southern Oman, according to a British Petroleum release sent to Gulf News yesterday.
The facility, which includes five fuel oil tanks with a total capacity of 88,000 metric tonnes and a 500 metric tonne gas oil tank, will double BP's storage capacity at the port.
BP Marine CEO Kevin James, who inaugurated the tank farm facility, said Salalah Port is well positioned to become one of the world's leading trans-shipment centres.
"With its strategic location, modern infrastructure and ability to handle the next generation of super container vessels, Salalah will play a key role in the region's economic growth."
Tiemen Meester, CEO of the Port of Salalah, said at the opening ceremony: "The new tank farm will upgrade the existing bunker operation to a state of the art, high speed facility.
"This type of bunker facility is rare to the region and will provide vessels that travel along the east west trade lane with competitively priced fuel available at only a minimum deviation."
The port recently announced plans to invest $94 million in additional infrastructure, as well as a government investment of $262 million to build two additional berths and a 2.85-km breaker water.
This expansion project will allow the port to handle up to eight container ships at a time and take its total capacity to around 4 million TEU (20-foot equivalent units) per annum from its current 2.4 million TEUs.
strategic
One of the busiest transshipment ports
- Salalah is strategically located on the main Europe-Asia shipping lane of the equatorial trade route, one of the fastest growing routes in the world.
- Since it opened in 1998 it has rapidly risen to become one of the busiest transshipment ports in the Indian Ocean region.
