Cape Town’s first independent oil storage and distribution terminal, Burgan Cape Terminal, was officially opened in the Eastern Mole of the Port of Cape Town on Tuesday.
The city’s newest energy asset offers 122 000 m3 of diesel and petrol storage and will offer the option to blend bioethanol and biofame (diesel).
Burgan Cape Terminal is jointly owned by broad-based black economic-empowerment (BBBEE) companies Thebe Investment Corporation and Jicaro, which each own a 15% stake, and global storage and terminal operator, VTTI, which owns a 70% stake.
The terminal, which has been designed to receive fuel product by sea, store it, and distribute it by truck, will provide an essential alternative for local fuel supply, and will significantly reduce the chances of fuel shortages previously experienced in the Western Cape. The terminal received its first product delivery by sea in June this year.
“We are proud to officially open Burgan Cape Terminal, South Africa’s newest energy asset,” stated VTTI CEO Rob Nijst, who was in South Africa to mark the terminal’s official opening.
He added that the black-empowered, independent storage facility would play a critical role in strengthening the country’s security of fuel supply and energy flexibility and that it would enable South Africa to benefit from the latest and cleanest fuels.
“We are also incredibly excited to add the vibrant city of Cape Town to our international network of leading fuel storage and distribution facilities,” stated Nijst.
Burgan Cape Terminal’s own jetty can accommodate vessels with a deadweight tonnage (DWT) of up to 50 000 DWT. Product will be loaded into trucks for onward distribution by a fully automated loading rack. The facility expects to load more than 36 000 trucks in its first year.
At its peak, the project employed around 500 workers and, together, the workforce notched up a remarkable 1.3-million working hours with zero safety incidents.
Created in 2006, VTTI offers safe and responsive terminalling services to the energy trading sector in 16 locations across five continents. With the opening of Burgan Cape Terminal, the company’s storage capacity now stands at 9.1-million cubic metres.
Jicaro is a 100% BBBEE investment company, whose members include women, youth and representatives from rural communities.
Thebe Investment Corporation a majority-owned entity of the Batho-Batho Trust, established by anti-apartheid leaders Nelson Mandela, Walter Sisulu, Enos Mabuza and Beyers Naudé.