Name of the Project
Liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) import facility project.

Location
Richards Bay, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

The port is on Petredec’s shipping route and in close proximity to the main rail and road logistics routes going inland, particularly as most of the LPG will be used in Gauteng, the Free State and the North West.

Project Owner/s
Petredec and Bidvest Tank Terminals (BTT).

Project Description
The project entails the development of a new facility for the import and storage of LPG.

The 22 600 t storage facility will be located at BTT’s existing site in Richards Bay.

The facility will feature four 5 650 t mounded tanks – each 60 m long and 16 m in diameter, with an internal volume of 10 712 m3 – the largest mounded LPG storage tanks in the world.

The commissioning of this new large-scale facility – also capable of seaborne re-exports to neighbouring countries – will unlock previously unattainable economies, resulting in lower supply prices to the local market.

Dedicated 24 h/d road tanker and railcar loading facilities will ensure constant supplies 365 d/y, enabling local LPG marketers to guarantee product availability to clients throughout South Africa.

Potential Job Creation
The construction phase of the project has created about 130 short-term jobs, while about 20 permanent jobs will be created by the facility.

Capital Expenditure
R1-billion.

Planned Start /End Date
The project broke ground on October 25, 2018, and was commissioned in October 2020.

Latest Developments
The project has been commissioned.

The 22 600 t storage facility is the region’s largest pressurised LPG import terminal, guaranteeing year-round availability of LPG to South Africa and neighbouring countries. 

The first parcel of LPG – arriving on a Petredec gas carrier from the Gulf of Mexico – was offloaded to the site in early October, and the loading of trucks for distribution throughout South Africa and to neighbouring countries has started. 

Petredec will facilitate the wholesale distribution of imported LPG through local subsidiary Petregaz.

Key Contracts,  Suppliers or Consultants
None stated.

Contact Details for Project Information
Petredec, tel +65 6305 1288, fax +65 6305 1289 or email lpg@petredec.com.sg.
Bidvest Tank Terminals, tel +27 31 277 5600 or email info@bidtanks.com.