Royal Vopak has announced the 7th phase of expansion of Vopak Horizon Fujairah Limited, adding 478,000 cbm of storage capacity for crude oil. For this extra capacity, Vopak Horizon Fujairah has signed a long-term contract with a customer.
The 7th phase of expansion will feature five storage tanks for crude oil, one manifold and pipeline connection to the new VLCC jetty in the Port of Fujairah, raising the total storage capacity at Vopak Horizon Fujairah to over 2.6 million cubic metres (cbm).
This expansion will mark the first crude oil tanks in the Middle East for independent storage purposes and will further strengthen Fujairah as a global hub for crude oil and oil products, with room for further expansions.
“We are thankful to the support of the Government of Fujairah in the expansion of the Vopak Horizon Fujairah facility. Over the years, Fujairah has firmly underlined its global credentials as one of the Top 3 oil storage hubs, next to Rotterdam and Singapore. The addition of more storage space at Vopak Horizon Fujairah will significantly support the region’s oil trade sector, and enhance the convenience of all key stakeholders by providing world-class logistics support. The growth will also contribute to further energise the local economy of Fujairah,” said Saeed Khoory, chief executive officer of ENOC.
Apart from a connection to the new very large crude carrier (VLCC) jetty of the Port of Fujairah, the expansion includes the construction of five storage tanks for crude oil and a manifold. The crude oil storage tanks will be the first in the Middle East for independent storage purposes. This expansion and jetty connections are expected to be commissioned in the 2nd half of 2016.
Most recently, Vopak Horizon Fujairah commissioned four oil tanker jetty pipelines connecting its terminal to the Port of Fujairah, thus significantly strengthening the speed and efficiency of operations for customers of Vopak Horizon Fujairah for a wide range of products.
“With its strategic location outside the Strait of Hormuz combined with the available infrastructure and knowledge, the Port of Fujairah is very well positioned to become a crude oil hub in the Middle East. We are excited to build together with our partners the 7th expansion of Vopak Horizon Fujairah and add crude oil tanks to safely serve our customers,” Said Eelco Hoekstra, chairman of the Executive Board and CEO of Royal Vopak.
