Crisis threatens expansion plans

PUT THE BRAKES ON

EXPANSIONS • IN THE YEAR OF CORONAVIRUS, TERMINAL OPERATORS’ PLANS HAVE BEEN THROWN INTO CHAOS. BUT A LOT OF WORK IS STILL GOING AHEAD

These are strange times for all of us, but perhaps strangest of all for bulk liquids storage terminal operators. Last year involved many in preparing for the incoming ‘IMO 2020’ regulation on the sulphur content of marine fuels, which involved repurposing storage tanks to cope with low-sulphur material and provide additional segregation. That came on top of pressure to handle more environmentally friendly fuels and the prospect of having to deal with the approaching energy transition.

As such, engineering departments were busy planning all manner of jobs, not least in the US, where the surge in crude oil exports, as well as LNG, ethane, ethylene and other gases, was encouraging a massive new construction phase, not least on the Texas coast.

But reports in January this year of a new strain of Coronavirus emerging in China presaged a complete turnaround in plans. The extended Chinese New Year holiday brought its own problems for some in the supply chain – problems that are yet to unwind totally – but as the virus spread around the world, measures to combat it caused the same personnel issues for terminal operators as it did for all other businesses.

That was, though, not the least of it. Restrictions on travel led to a sudden fall in demand for gasoline, diesel and jet fuel; this came on top of what was already an over-supplied oil market and caused a collapse in global oil prices. Efforts by the major oil exporting countries to rein in production came too late and are probably too little to reinvigorate market sentiment, at least until demand returns to more normal levels. TIME TO RETHINK So, as we head towards the middle of 2020, storage terminal operators have had some time to consider the implications. Many have changed their plans, cutting back on capital expenditure until the current uncertainty eases, reducing dividend payments and waiting to see how the crisis plays out.

That is not to say that they are not busy. The demand-led slump has left many holding high volumes of inventory for producers and traders, waiting for demand to return, although throughput of crude oil and refined products has slowed remarkably. There are some bright spots in the chemicals and foodstuffs sector, particularly for those products that act as feedstock in the pharmaceutical and healthcare supply chains.

HCB’s annual review of expansion and construction activity is no shorter than in previous years but most of the projects and plans listed on the following pages were put in place before the Covid-19 pandemic struck. It is understood that many construction projects already under way are continuing as planned, based as they are on long-standing contracts or the anticipation of a financial return, although construction firms are employing their own safe working practices. However, some other projects that have not yet passed to the construction phase are being

OPERATORS IN THE US REMAIN BUSY INSTALLING

delayed and the information presented here may not be up to date.

NORTH AMERICA

Gibson Energy, Alberta Gibson Energy is to add two more 500,000-bbl crude oil tanks in the ‘Top of the Hill’ portion of its Hardisty terminal in Alberta, Canada. The new tanks, due for completion by the end of the year, will represent the fourth phase of construction on the site and will take total storage capacity up to 13.5m bbl (2.15m m³). Four new tanks of the same size were completed and put into service ahead of schedule this past November.

Kinder Morgan/Pembina, British Columbia In the first half of 2018, Kinder Morgan announced the construction of two new distillate tanks and increased railcar unloading capacity at its Vancouver Wharves terminal, with work expected to be completed in mid-2020. Permitting took longer than anticipated, pushing the completion date back to March 2021. In December last year, the company sold its 70 per cent holding in Kinder Morgan Canada to Pembina Pipeline Corp, in exchange for Pembina shares.

Pembina has not yet said whether it will go ahead with the work at Vancouver Wharves and it is not listed among its investment projects for 2020. However, Pembina is proceeding with construction of its propane export terminal at Prince Rupert, British Columbia, which is expected to be in service early in the second half of this year. It has also announced a second phase of construction that will take export capacity up to some 40,000 bpd by the first half of 2023, subject to regulatory and environmental approvals.

RIPET, British Columbia The Ridley Island Propane Export Terminal (RIPET) in British Columbia, Canada formally opened for business in May 2019; the first shipment departed the terminal bound for Asia. RIPET is a joint venture between AltaGas and Royal Vopak and the first dedicated propane export facility in Canada. “We are very excited about this important milestone in our good and strategic partnership with AltaGas,” said Eelco Hoekstra, CEO of Vopak, at the opening of the facility. “AltaGas is a well-respected Canadian company with experience in developing energy projects, while storage and handling of gas is an important strategic focus area for Vopak. This export facility opens market access for western Canadian producers to Asia, a premium market for propane.”

NuStar, California NuStar Energy is in the middle of a widespread project to improve biofuels handling at its West Coast terminals. A total of 93,000 bbl of tankage at the terminal in Portland, Oregon has already been converted to handle biodiesel and renewable diesels, and the Selby terminal in California can now load renewable diesel into tank trucks. Conversion work for the same products has already been partly finished at the Stockton and Wilmington terminals in California.

By the end of this year, NuStar will covert another 73,000 bbl of tankage at Stockton to handle renewable diesel and to allow the handling of the product at all 15 rail spots. Early next year, another 151,000 bbl of tankage is to be converted and a new connection to offload ethanol from rail cars will be put into service. Ongoing work to reconfigure the dock at Wilmington to enhance transfer rates is due to finish in mid-2023.

Kinder Morgan, Illinois Construction continues on an expansion of Kinder Morgan’s Argo ethanol hub. The $19m project, which spans both the Argo and Chicago Liquids facilities, includes 105,000 bbl of additional ethanol storage capacity and enhancements to the system’s rail loading, rail unloading and barge loading capabilities. Completion is expected in third quarter 2020.

Stolthaven, Louisiana Stolthaven Terminals is adding 47,700 m³ of new capacity at its Louisiana facility. The new tankage is due to enter into service in two phases over the course of this year. »

THE WEST COAST OF CANADA IS THE FOCUS OF

Tallgrass, Louisiana Tallgrass Energy is to build a new crude oil terminal, Plaquemines Liquids Terminal (PLT), in a joint project with Drexel Hamilton Infrastructure Partners and, in a public/private partnership, the Plaquemines Port & Harbor Terminal District. The terminal, which is permitted for up to 20m bbl (3.18m m³) of capacity, will be linked to the Cushing hub by a new 30-inch pipeline to be built by Tallgrass. The terminal is expected to be fully operational by mid-2020 and will be able to handle post-Panamax tankers; Tallgrass says it anticipates building a separate offshore pipeline extension to give the option to load VLCCs, beginning in 2021.

In August 2019 Tallgrass put the new Grasslands Terminal in Platteville, Colorado into service. The 300,000-bbl (48,000-m³) facility connects to an extension of the Pony Express pipeline system.

Bluewing, Texas Bluewing Midstream has carried out a 330,000-bbl expansion of its refined products terminal in Brownsville, Texas. Completion of the work, the second phase of construction at the site, took total capacity up to some 1.3m bbl (207,000 m³). A further 1.6m-bbl build-out is also under development.

Buckeye, Texas Buckeye Partners is continuing with construction of the South Texas Gateway Terminal in Corpus Christi, due for commercial startup in the third quarter, in partnership with Phillips 66, which has a 25 per cent interest in the facility. The export terminal with have two deepwater docks, up to 8.5m bbl (1.35m m³) of storage capacity and throughput capacity of up to 800,000 bpd.

Contanda, Texas Contanda is building a new bulk liquids terminal in Houston, to support its strategic expansion into petrochemical and hydrocarbon storage. The Contanda Houston Jacintoport Terminal will provide up to 3.0m bbl (475,000 m³) of storage at Contanda’s existing Jacintoport facility, located adjacent to its steel terminal.

“This project meets the growing needs of our customers who have requested additional storage and logistics services to support their growth initiatives,” said Jerry Cardillo, president/ CEO, launching the project in August 2018. “The new Contanda Houston Jacintoport Terminal will strengthen our position as a leading storage provider in our growing renewable, petrochemicals and hydrocarbons markets and allow us to continue our growth platform in and around the Houston Ship Channel.”

Contanda is also working on a second new liquids terminal in the area, the Contanda Houston Greens Bayou Terminal, to serve the local refining and petrochemical sectors. A site has been secured on the Houston Ship Channel and Contanda is aiming for the terminal to be operational in 2021.

Meanwhile, Contanda has recently expanded its existing facilities in Sioux City, Iowa, with 20,000 bbl new capacity brought onstream in late 2019, and Stockton, California, where 28,000 bbl of new tankage was completed in the first quarter of 2020.

Enbridge, Texas Enbridge has withdrawn its application for a deepwater port licence for the proposed Texas COLT offshore oil export facility. The move follows Enbridge’s agreement to partner with Enterprise Products Partners in its planned SPOT deepwater crude oil export project (see below).

Enbridge is proceeding with its Jones Creek crude oil storage terminal project in Brazoria county, Texas, which could have up to 15m bbl (2.4m m³) of tank capacity for crude oil and will be linked via the Seaway Pipeline system to Gulf Coast refineries and oil production basins across the US.

Enterprise, Texas Enterprise Products Partners and Navigator Holdings began construction of their jointventure ethylene export terminal, located at Enterprise’s existing Morgan’s Point terminal complex on the Houston Ship Channel, in second quarter 2018. The first cargo of ethylene was lifted from the terminal in January 2020. The terminal has refrigerated storage for 66m lb (30,000 tonnes) of ethylene and is designed to handle up to 1m tonnes per year.

“The opening of the jointly owned ethylene export terminal represents the beginning of an expansion of the export of valuable intermediate petrochemical gas products including ethylene and propylene,” said David Butters, executive chairman of Navigator Gas, at the time of the opening. “We expect this trend of exporting intermediate petrochemical gases to accelerate, benefiting our specialised tankers. Furthermore, we are working on the development of domestic and international infrastructure projects that will facilitate this important trend.” »

BLUEWING IS CONCENTRATING IN BUILDING

Enterprise Products Partners has also announced three expansion projects to enhance export capacity for LPG, polymer-grade propylene and crude oil from its Enterprise Hydrocarbon Terminal on the Houston Ship Channel. The work, due for completion this year, will include new refrigerated storage capacity for propylene and an eighth dock to load crude onto Suezmax tankers and will expand aggregate loading capacity by some 1.3m bpd.

“Our integrated midstream system, including our Houston Ship Channel terminal, is providing Texas products with access to the highest value markets, including international markets,” says AJ ‘Jim’ Teague, CEO of Enterprise’s general partner.

Enterprise Products Partners has signed a long-term agreement with Chevron USA that will support development of Enterprise’s Sea Port Oil Terminal (SPOT), an offshore crude oil loading facility planned for construction some 30 nm off Brazoria County, Texas in 115 feet of water. SPOT will allow the loading of VLCCs at a rate of some 2m bbl per day. At the end of 2019 Enterprise signed a letter of intent with Enbridge to take part in the SPOT project. “We are very pleased to work with Enbridge docks, one ship dock and pipeline connections. The work also enhances gasoline blending capabilities at the site. Work at Corpus Christi concentrated on additional unit train loading capacity, although HEP notes that it has land available for expansion of storage capacity.

Kinder Morgan, Texas Kinder Morgan last August announced a $170m investment in a series of projects to increase efficiency, add product liquidity and enhance blending capabilities at its Pasadena and Galena Park terminals on the Houston Ship Channel. The work focuses on butane blending at both sites, MTBE blending at Pasadena, and new inbound pipeline connections. The work at Pasadena, due for completion in second quarter 2020, is supported by a long-term agreement with a major refiner for approximately 2.0m bbl (318,000 m³) of refined petroleum products storage capacity at the terminal.

A $22m upgrade of the joint-venture Battleground Oil Specialty Terminal (Bostco) on the Houston Ship Channel is also underway. The upgrade will add piping to allow for segregation of high- and low-sulphur fuel oils and is expected in service by the end of the year.

LBC, Texas LBC Freeport Terminal has completed construction of a 100,000-m³ terminal adjacent to MEGlobal’s monoethylene glycol

MODA INGLESIDE ENERGY CENTER IS IN

THE MIDST OF A MAJOR EXPANSION to jointly develop a deepwater port in the Gulf of Mexico to support growing exports of US crude oil,” said Teague. “We value Enbridge’s expertise and resources as we focus our collective commercial development efforts on making the SPOT project a reality.”

EPIC, Texas EPIC Crude Holdings loaded the first crude oil cargo from its IGC marine terminal in the inner harbour of the Corpus Christi Ship Channel this past December. The terminal, formerly the International Grain Port, was repurposed by EPIC in June 2019 to act as a crude terminal while a larger facility is under construction.

IGC can handle tankers of up to Aframax size and load at a rate of 20,000 bbl/hour; the East Dock facility, a greenfield project, will be able to handle Suezmax tankers with a loading capacity of 40,000 bbl/hour and is expected to commence operations in the third quarter. Both facilities will receive crude via a new pipeline from Orla, Texas to Corpus Christi, servicing the Delaware, Midland and Eagle Ford basins.

Howard Energy, Texas Howard Energy Partners (HEP) has completed expansion work on its Port Arthur and Corpus Christi bulk liquids terminals, increasing its Gulf Coast storage capacity to 2.6m bbl (413,000 m³). At Port Arthur, HEP added 12 new tanks, four pressurised bullets for butane, two barge

manufacturing plant at Oyster Creek in Freeport. The first cargo of diethylene glycol arrived at the site in August 2019. LBC says the terminal, which is an integrated part of MEGlobal’s supply chain, is equipped with a range of tanks in sizes from 320 m³ to 26,000 m³.

Magellan, Texas Magellan Midstream Partners brought new dock facilities at the Galena Park terminal in Texas into operation in August 2019, increasing loading capacity to 750,000 bpd. A second phase of construction brought an additional dock and pipeline infrastructure into service in December along with half of another 4m bbl (635,000 m³) of tank capacity. Full operation of the latest expansion followed early in 2020.

The Seabrook facility, a joint venture with LBC Tank Terminals, brought 800,000 bbl (127,000 m³) of new tankage into operation early in 2020, with new dock capabilities due to come online in mid-2020. Work is now progressing on a further 750,000-bbl expansion due to enter into service early in 2021.

Moda, Texas Moda Midstream brought 2.4m bbl (380,000 m³) of new tankage online at the Moda Ingleside Energy Center (MIEC) in Texas in November 2019, the first part of a 10.0m-bbl (1.6m m³) expansion, which was due to be completed by the end of the year. Throughput capacity is also being enhanced by dredging work in the Corpus Christi Channel and dock work, which will allow Suezmax and very large crude carriers (VLCCs) to call; in April 2020 the US Army Corps of Engineers awarded a contract for the improvement project.

Moda has also recently brought additional tankage into service at the nearby Taft terminal, which provides pipeline connections between MIEC and other crude oil systems.

NuStar, Texas NuStar Energy is to build 600,000 bbl of new tank storage at its Corpus Christi North Beach

ABOVE: PHILLIPS 66 CONTINUES TO EXPAND terminal as part of a long-term agreement with Trafigura to expand export capacity for South Texas crude oil. The expansion, due for completion in the second quarter of this year, will raise total capacity at the terminal to 3.9m bbl (620,000 m³), of which 1.3m bbl will be devoted to Trafigura.

Odfjell, Texas Odfjell Terminals (Houston) is to provide bulk liquid terminal services for a new acrylonitrile styrene acrylate plant being built by Ineos Styrolution at its existing complex in Bayport, Texas. Odfjell’s responsibilities will include the receipt, storage and pipeline transfer of butyl acrylate and acrylonitrile feedstocks, using Odjell’s nearby bulk liquids terminal as the initial receiving point. The new Ineos unit is due to be commissioned in 2021.

Phillips 66, Texas Phillips 66 has added a further 2.2m bbl (350,000 m³) of capacity at its Beaumont crude oil terminal, taking total capacity at the site to 16.8m bbl (2.67m m³). Work is currently underway to expand dock capacity to allow loading of up to 800,000 bpd, due to complete in the third quarter.

Phillips 66 and Trafigura Corp have established a 50/50 joint venture, Bluewater Texas Terminal, to develop an offshore VLCC loading facility some 21 nm east of Corpus Christi for the export of crude oil. The plan is to install two single-point mooring buoys, subject to a final investment decision expected later this year once permitting has been completed. As part of the move, Trafigura has withdrawn its application to develop the Texas Gulf Terminals deepwater port facility, lodged with MarAd in July 2018.

Pin Oak, Texas Pin Oak Corpus Christi, the former Gravity Midstream terminal acquired in early 2019, has commissioned a new oil dock developed in partnership with the Port of Corpus Christi Authority. The first vessel was received at the dock in April 2020, following the laying of nine pipelines under the ship channel. The new dock can accommodate Suezmax tankers, whereas existing facilities were only large enough for Aframax vessels, and can load crude oil at a rate in excess of 40,000 bbl/hour.

“We set out on this course roughly two years ago to execute on a significant capital development program in conjunction with the Port of Corpus Christi to create a world class multi-modal terminal company,” said Corey Leonard, CEO of Pin Oak. “Bringing Oil Dock 14 online for Suezmax class vessels is a key »

component of our strategy, and this week’s achievement marks a significant milestone in our efforts to become the premier terminal and logistics company in the South Texas market.”

Pin Oak is also planning to expand capacity at the terminal from 737,500 bbl (117,250 m³) to around 2.75m bbl (440,000 m³).

Pin Oak Terminals started construction work this past August on 1.7m bbl (270,000 m³) of crude oil tankage at its nearby Taft terminal, following agreement to connect to two pipelines that will supply crude from the Permian, Eagle Ford, Bakken, DG and Niobrara basins.

Vopak, Texas Vopak is building 33,000 m³ of additional tankage at its Deer Park chemical terminal, with completion due in mid-2021. It has also started work on the Vopak Moda Houston terminal, a 50/50 joint venture with Moda Midstream, also located on the Houston Ship Channel in Deer Park. The first phase involves construction of 46,000 m³ of various gas tanks and a new jetty for the storage and handling of chemical gases, due to enter into service in phases between late 2020 and second half 2021. All the new capacity has been fully rented out under long-term contracts.

Vopak has also been selected by Gulf Coast Growth Ventures (GCGV), the ExxonMobil/ Sabic joint venture, to design, build, own and operate a new industrial terminal at Corpus Christi, Texas. The terminal, due onstream in 2022 with 130,000 m³ capacity, will serve GCGV’s new 1.8m tpa ethane cracker. Eelco Hoekstra, Vopak CEO, says: “We’re very excited to support GCGV with this major industrial development in the US. This new terminal fits well into our growth strategy for industrial terminals.”

OILTANKING ANTWERP GAS TERMINAL IS BUILDING LATIN AMERICA

Vopak, Brazil Vopak completed a major expansion of its wholly owned terminal in Alemoa in late 2019, adding 106,000 m³ of tank capacity for chemicals and oil products and taking total capacity to nearly 280,000 m³.

Sempra, Mexico Sempra Energy’s Mexican subsidiary Infraestructura Energética Nova (IEnova) has won a public tender organised by the Integral Port Authority of Topolobampo to build and operate a marine storage terminal to handle imports of fuels, chemicals and other liquids. IEnova will be responsible for the full implementation of the project, valued at some $150m, which is due to commence operations late in 2020.

Separately, IEnova and Trafigura have formed a 51/49 joint venture to develop a terminal for the receipt, storage and distribution of refined products in Manzanillo, Mexico. A service agreement covers half of the planned 1.48m bbl (235,000 m³) capacity at the site, which is expected to be onstream by the end of 2020. The Manzanillo terminal will be IEnova’s sixth refined products terminal in Mexico.

CLH, Mexico CLH has acquired a 60 per cent share in Mexican company HST, which is building a near-100,000-m³ oil products storage terminal in the Valle de México, due to open in 2020. The terminal will have pipeline connections and is located conveniently for road and rail access for the distribution of fuels to the country’s largest market. José Luis López de Silanes, president of the CLH Group, says the deal “constitutes a new step forward in the company’s process of internationalisation and one which enables us to continue to move forward in the American continent”.

Vopak, Mexico Vopak is undertaking a 79,000-m³ expansion of its Veracruz terminal to improve petroleum product throughput. Vopak notes that Mexico is a deficit market that has recently been opened up; it already has high commercial coverage for the expansion, which is expected to be fully commissioned by the end of 2020. The wholly owned site, one of three Vopak terminals in Mexico, currently has a capacity of 104,400 m³ in 78 tanks, mainly handling chemicals and vegoils.

Vopak has also announced a 40,000-m³ expansion of its Altamira terminal to handle growing volumes of chemical imports. due for completion in late 2021.

Vopak, Panama Vopak’s new wholly owned petroleum products terminal in Bahía las Minas on the Atlantic coast in Panama opened for business early in 2019 with an initial capacity of 120,000 m³. A further 200,000 m³ came onstream in phases over the course of the year with another 40,000 m³ due to be added in 2020. The facility largely handles bunker fuels, fuel oil and clean products and can handle vessels of up to 80,000 dwt. »

NORTHERN EUROPE

Noord Natie Odfjell, Belgium Work is continuing to build out the Noord Natie Odfjell terminal in Antwerp. Following the completion of 32,700 m³ of new stainless steel tankage in 2018, another fully automated tank pit with 12,700 m³ of capacity is expected in service by mid-2020 and further development of 45,000 m³ is possible in 2022. It has also been working on a new block train facility. The company says it has another 45,000 m² of land available for additional tank storage or for related activities such as warehousing and ADR parking.

Oiltanking, Belgium Oiltanking Antwerp Gas Terminal (AGT) is to build a 135,000-m³ propane tank to handle imports for the new propane dehydrogenation (PDH) unit Borealis is to open at its nearby Kallo site in early 2022. “I am looking forward to continue the long-standing partnership and the confidence placed in Oiltanking for handling propylene and propane and the further integration into the logistics chain of Borealis,” says Daan Vos, managing director of Oiltanking West of Suez.

SEA-MOL, Belgium MOL Chemical Tankers and SEA-Invest last year set up a 51/49 joint venture, SEA-MOL, to build a new bulk liquids chemical terminal in Antwerp. The project, expected to cost up to €400m, will be located on a 45-ha site on the Delwaide Dock. The partners plan a phased development, ultimately consisting of around 500,000 m³ of storage capacity for chemicals and base oils, with startup scheduled for mid-2021.

The SEA-MOL terminal will have access by seagoing vessels, barges, trucks and railcars. The partners are planning a range of valueadding services, including blending, drumming, filtration and tank container storage.

Standic, Belgium Standic has started work on a new storage terminal in Antwerp with an initial capacity of 93,000 m³. The first piles were dug in February this year. The €200m project, due to open in early 2021, will be designed to handle a wide range of chemicals in tanks varying in size from 500 to 3,500 m³. There is the potential to expand the site to as much as 230,000 m³.

“The Port of Antwerp is known as one of the largest maritime clusters in the world, which is why we chose it for our expansion,” says Ronald Ooms, managing director of Hametha, Standic’s parent company. “We aim to build on our success with chemical storage and further expand it. In Antwerp we will be able to further develop in the niche market of more specialised chemicals and serve our customers from all over the world.”

Vesta, Belgium Vesta Terminals has announced a 150,000-m³ expansion of its Antwerp terminal. It plans to build five new 30,000-m³ tanks, specifically to handle jet fuel, and connections to the Central European Pipeline System (CEPS) to provide links to most major airports in north-west Europe. Construction is due to begin in first quarter 2021 with completion scheduled for 2022.

Vopak, Belgium Vopak is to add 50,000 m³ of new tankage for chemicals at the Linkeroever terminal in Antwerp, with completion scheduled for third quarter 2021.

Bladt, Denmark Bladt Industries has been selected by the Port of Frederikshavn to build a new oil terminal. The facility will comprise 11 storage tanks with an aggregate storage of 74,400 m³ and will mainly handle marine fuels and wastewater for Stena Oil, which will operate the site. Commissioning is due by end 2020.

ATLHA, Germany ATLHA Terminals is progressing with construction of a 75,000-m³ greenfield terminal in Duisburg. Due to start operations in mid-2020, the site will consist of 12 tanks and is designed to provide storage for distillates, gasoline and gasoline components. It will be equipped with truck loading racks, rail tank loading/discharge positions and a 135-metre jetty, which will allow ship-to-ship transfers.

Alpha, Netherlands Alpha Terminals is building a 720,000-m³ bulk liquids terminal in Vlissingen, designed to handle a wide range of products. Completion was originally scheduled for 2020.

ATLHA, Netherlands ATLHA Terminals has applied for permits to expand its NWB terminal in Amsterdam from its current capacity of 60,000 m³ to 90,000 m³; if the process is successful, the new tankage will be operational in 2022. The NWB site handles ethanol, both for foodgrade and biofuel applications.

GPS, Netherlands Global Petro Storage (GPS) has expanded its

Amsterdam terminal with six new storage tanks, taking capacity from 148,500 m³ to 282,500 m³ in 17 tanks. GPS says the move is part of its international programme of development and acquisitions, and has created a state-of-the-art facility for the storage and blending of gasoline, gasoline components and biofuels.

Eric Arnold, CEO of GPS, says: “The opening of this facility is an important milestone for GPS. The investment in increased capacity and flexibility which are now built into the Amsterdam terminal reinforces GPS’s commitment to providing customers with world-class assets, while pursuing our global expansion plans.”

GPS acquired the terminal, the former ‘Hydrocarbon Hotel’, from Varo Energy in December 2016, making its first move into the storage terminal business. GPS is based in Singapore and backed by funds managed by Blue Water Energy and White Deer Energy.

As part of the expansion of the Amsterdam terminal, GPS is also developing a railcar handling facility adjacent to the terminal, to be able to offer a cost-effective and sustainable alternative to road and river transport for a range of energy and chemical commodities. The development complements the Port of Amsterdam’s sustainability strategy objectives, which endorse the importance of good rail connections to and from the Amsterdam port region.

Hartel, Netherlands HES International is due to complete the new HES Hartel Tank Terminal in Rotterdam next year. HES is building 54 tanks on the 27-ha site in Maasvlakte 1, offering a total capacity of 1.3m m³ for a range of petroleum products and biofuels. In April this year, Visser & Smit Hanab completed the subsea pipelines that will link the terminal to the BP refinery, which will be a major client. That work followed on from the completion by the Port of Rotterdam in December 2019 of a new 1,200-metre deepsea quay wall, a connection to the existing quay wall and a new 350-metre jetty with four berths. Soil and dredging works were also carried out.

HES, Netherlands HES Botlek Tank Terminal has added 20,000 m³ of new tankage, primarily for biofuels, taking total capacity at the site to 510,000 m³. The six new 3,400-m³ tanks were fabricated by SJR Tank Construction and delivered to the site using a floating sheerlegs crane.

LBC, Netherlands LBC Tank Terminals is expanding storage capacity at its Rotterdam facility, adding 70,000 m³ of new chemical tankage to take total capacity up to 180,000 m³. LBC says the investment is part of a multi-year programme to revamp and expand the Botlek site. As part of that, it is also to expand its newly built deepsea jetty with two new berths. The first piles were driven in March 2020. Work is expected to be complete in third quarter 2021.

Vopak, Netherlands Vopak has two projects under way in its home territory. An additional 63,000 m³ of chemical tankage is being constructed at the Botlek site in Rotterdam, with completion scheduled for late 2020, and the Vlissingen LPG terminal is being expanded by 9,200 m³ to serve the local market for LPG and chemical gases, with completion due by mid-2020.

Wibax, Sweden Wibax last year completed a $2.7m remodelling of its Mälmo terminal in Sweden. The project expanded capacity to 13,300 m³, diversified the range of products handled and improved safety features. It also added a new heating system, interior anti-corrosion paintwork, isolation of certain tanks and new, safer loading facilities. Wibax acquired the Malmö facility in 2014 and it is its southernmost location.

Wibax completed construction of a new double-skin tank at its Norrköping terminal at the start of 2020. The tank, which can hold up to 10,000 tonnes of liquid chemicals, is designed to contain any product in case of a leak in the inner tank shell. The tank cost some SKr 21m (€2m).

Wibax has also announced plans to build two new distribution terminals in Skelleftehamn in northern Sweden at a cost of SKr 15m (€1.4m). The new terminals will be sited near to the company’s existing facilities in Skellefteå and double storage capacity in the area to 177,000 m³ across 44 storage tanks.

Inter, UK Inter Terminals concluded a multi-million pound infrastructure upgrade programme at its Grays terminal earlier this year. Its two jetties were improved to allow tankers of up to 40,000 dwt to berth, new marine loading arms and piping were installed to allow faster discharge of product, and road loading facilities were also improved.

Stolthaven, UK Stolthaven Terminals completed a 1,000-m³ expansion of its Dagenham terminal in fourth quarter 2019, following a 750-m³ addition in the first half of the year. »

ABOVE: WIBAX HAS BEEN WORKING ON

SOUTHERN EUROPE

ATT, Croatia Adriatic Tank Terminal, a joint venture between VTTI (70 per cent) and Energia Naturalis Group (ENNA), is engaged in phase two work at its terminal in Ploce, Croatia, that will take petroleum product storage capacity up from 110,000 m³ to 176,000 m³. A third phase has also started, which will add another 87,000 m³ and there are plans to add up to 60,000 m³ of LPG capacity. The partners are also developing a jetty to handle LR tankers.

Terquimsa, Spain Vopak Terquimsa completed the second phase of the Buenavista projects at its terminal in Tarragona, Spain in the second quarter of 2019, adding 27,500 m³ of new chemical capacity and taking total tank capacity at Terquimsa’s network up to more than 430,000 m³. This latest expansion is designed to help the company meet the growing needs of its industrial clients located in the Tarragona chemical cluster.

AFRICA

Oiltanking, South Africa Oiltanking Grindrod Calulo (OTCalulo) and Transnet National Ports Authority have broken ground on the new liquid bulk storage terminal in the port of Ngqura. The new facility will replace existing storage at nearby Port Elizabeth, which is due to be decommissioned, and pave the way for Ngqura’s development as a new petroleum trading hub for southern Africa. The terminal will have an ultimate storage capacity of 790,000 m³ and will cater to oil majors, independents and traders. Commissioning is planned for the end of this year.

Oiltanking MOGS Saldanha, a joint venture between Oiltanking, MOGS and Industrial Development Corp of South Africa, commissioned its new crude oil receiving terminal in April 2020. The terminal (above), located in Saldanha Bay, is connected to an existing jetty that can handle VLCCs. In the fi rst phase of development, nine tanks were built with a total capacity of 9.9m bbl (1.6m m³); further work is continuing that will see more tanks come into service in the third quarter, while there is space available to increase the facility to 13.2m bbl (2.1m m³) if market conditions demand it.

Vopak, South Africa Vopak has announced a further expansion of activities in South Africa alongside its local partner Reatile. A 15,000-m³ LPG import/ distribution terminal is to be built in Richards Bay for commissioning in mid-2020, subject to fi nal conditions. In addition, 130,000 m³ of new tankage is planned for the Durban oil product terminal, again due for commissioning in mid-year. MIDDLE EAST

NIOC, Iran The National Iranian Oil Company last year signed a build-operate-transfer (BOT) contract for a 10m-bbl crude oil storage facility in the port of Jask on the Gulf of Oman. Local fi rm Petroleum Engineering & Development will undertake the work, expected to last for three years.

ACT, UAE Abu Dhabi Ports has signed a strategic agreement with Arabian Chemical Terminals (ACT) for the development of a greenfi eld bulk liquids storage terminal at the deepwater Khalifa Port. The terminal, the fi rst commercial facility in Abu Dhabi, will be developed in two phases, the fi rst scheduled for commissioning in the second half of 2022 with 44 tanks of 1,250 tonnes and 3,000 tonnes capacity; a second phase will include larger tanks and gas spheres.

GPS, UAE GPS Innova, a joint venture between Global Petro Storage, Innova Refi ning and Chemie Tech, is due to complete its greenfi eld bulk liquids terminal in the port of Hamriyah this year. The terminal will offer capacity for trading, imports, bunkering and the reprocessing of waste oils. Construction began in October 2018. »

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SOUTH-EAST ASIA

Vopak, Indonesia Vopak is to add 50,000-m³ of new tankage at its 81,000-m³ chemical terminal in Merak, Indonesia. Work is scheduled for completion in mid-2020. Another 100,000 m³ of new capacity is also being added at the Jakarta facility, in which Vopak has a 49 per cent share, for completion in mid-2020.

Dialog, Malaysia Phase three of the Pengerang Deepwater Terminals development in Malaysia got under way this past October after Dialog Group signed a long-term storage agreement with BP Singapore. This agreement will underpin construction of 430,000 m³ of tankage for clean products in what Dialog calls ‘Phase 3A’. The tanks are due to be completed in mid-2021. Dialog is already working on shared infrastructure and jetty facilities for Phase 3.

GPS, Malaysia Global Petro Storage (GPS) is currently building a new 134,000-m³ LPG terminal in Port Klang, Malaysia, due in service early in 2021. This $300m project in being carried out in partnership with Equinor, which plans to use the terminal as a hub for the storage and blending of LPG grades. It will be equipped with a jetty capable of handling VLGCs and will store LPG in refrigerated tanks, though it will also be able to supply pressurised gas. GPS has reserved another plot of land at the port where it is planning to develop and LNG import and distribution terminal.

Smart Crest, Malaysia The Johor Port Authority has signed a deal with Smart Crest to build a 1.0m-m³ oil products terminal in the Free Commercial Zone Tanjung Pelepas. The ‘Independent Petroleum Hub’ (IPH) will be equipped with 53 storage tanks, two jetties and five berths and will offer both oil storage and bunkering capacity. The project, which was originally mooted some 17 years ago, has the support of Malaysia’s transport ministry. It also replaces Smart Crest’s Asia Petroleum Hub project, announced in 2016.

Stolthaven, Malaysia A 27,000-m³ expansion of the joint venture Stolthaven Westport terminal is due for completion later this year.

Vopak, Vietnam Vopak completed a 20,000 m³ expansion of its wholly owned terminal in Dong Nai province in first quarter 2020. The facility now offers 68,200 m³ of tankage for chemicals and base oils.

NORTH ASIA

Dragon Crown, China The third phase of construction at Dragon Crown Group’s Weifang Sime Darby terminal is currently underway and expected to be completed this year. This phase will add some 164,000 m³ of tankage for petroleum products, taking total capacity at the facility to around 660,000 m³. A new rail link is also due to be completed, which will improve reliability and flexibility at the terminal (pictured left).

Vopak, China Vopak has set up a joint venture with Shanghai Huayi Group and Guangxi Qinzhou Linhai Industrial, in which Vopak has a 51 per cent share, to build an industrial terminal to support chemical manufacturers in the Quinzhou Chemical Park in south-west China, which will have an initial capacity of 290,000 m³. Completion is expected in second quarter 2021.

Vopak has also announced a 65,000-m³ expansion of its Caojing terminal in Shanghai to handle chemical gases. This industrial terminal serves the chemical plants located in the Shanghai Chemicals Industry Park (SCIP) and its adjacent areas. The additional storage capacity has been fully rented out under long-term contracts and is expected to be commissioned in the second quarter of 2022.

Korea Energy Terminal, South Korea MOL Chemical Tankers, Korea National Oil Corp and SK Gas have formed a joint venture, Korea Energy Terminal, to build and operate a new bulk liquids terminal in Ulsan, South Korea. The partners envisage a facility with some 434,000 m³ of storage capacity for petroleum products, chemicals and natural gas, with commissioning scheduled for mid-2024. The cost of the new facility is put at some $530m.

AUSTRALASIA

Vopak, Australia Vopak has announced a 105,000 m³ expansion of its Sydney terminal to cater for rising demand for clean petroleum products and aviation fuels. The work is scheduled for completion in second quarter 2021.

Stolthaven, New Zealand Stolthaven Terminals is adding some 5,600 m³ of new tankage at its facility in Wynyard. This will partially replace some older tankage that is being decommissioned after the end of a land lease.