Petroleum minister: implementing Sonker liquid bulk terminal with investments 10milliard pounds.

Engineer, Tarek ElMolla, petroleum minister followed up, together with vice admiral, Mohab Mameesh, head of Suez Canal authority and of Suez Canal economic region, implementing work in Sonker liquid bulk project and developing Sukhna port maritime berth which is considered a comprehensive logistic developed platform and a main outlet on the Res Sea securing fuel supplies and adding a strategy for infra-structure of Petroleum sector

This in the attendance of Eng. Mohamed Taher, first undersecretary of Petroleum minister, Eng. Abid Ezz Elregal, executive head of petroleum general authority and his deputy for refining, manufacturing, transport and distribution and head of Petrojet, Misr and ElTaaawen companies  and from Sonker company engineer Mahmoud Nazeem.

Petroleum minister has assured that infra-structure development project whether petroleum ports, refineries, crude oil lines networks, petroleum products and natural gas, in addition to projects concerning increasing productivity capacity from natural wealth, petroleum products and natural gas are implemented by petroleum sector according to modern techniques and international standard specifications and health, safety and security criteria and which fulfills the state’s strategy in securing fuel supplies for local market and developmental projects, and participates in Egypt’s national project to be transferred to a regional center for trading and handling petroleum products and natural gas, pointing out that developing petroleum facilities, capacity and storage at Sukhna port is an important aspect in petroleum sector to achieve such national targets.

ElMolla has pointed out to the petroleum sector implementing a comprehensive plan for developing petroleum ports on Mediterranean and Red seas which serves plans of handling, distributing and exporting crude oil, petroleum products and natural gas, noting that the government is working to glorify private sector participation in investment projects that the state’s implement, which is considered an encouragement for investors and rapid accomplishment for projects. He also praised cooperation with Sonker in the project’s implementation and also providing with infra-structure required for importing natural gas which participates in solving the problem of providing the gas to electricity terminals.

From his side vice admiral Mohab Mameesh said that Sukhna  port, so called ” port of the century”  for its high capabilities and the great development that occurs in it, especially its distinguished location  in the economic region  and the nearness of the port from Cairo Sukhna road and rest of roads  that it established by the state; through the regional Ring road and also the port’s nearness to new administrative capital, making it one of the most important ports and an international central point  linking Egypt, Africa gate, to world continents.

Mameesh also added that Sukhna port consists of two docks, first and third with total berth lengths 2500m and which will reach after development works to 6000m, also maximum port’s capacity is 9 million ton annually and which has increased lately to 17 million ton annually and is expected to increase more after developmental works to 21 million ton annually.

Vice admiral, Mameesh has also pointed out that liquid bulk terminal represents commence of Canal economic region projects  at its southern pole and is considered the nucleus of projects of capacity that are planned to be established at the Canal corridor ; within the framework of transferring Egypt to a regional center for handling and storing petroleum products and vessels’ bunkering

From his side, Eng.Ayman Naguib, head of Sonker company, has declared that the project represents an example for cooperation between the government and the private sector; where finance ministry participates together with Misr and ElTaawen companies with a percentage of 37% and fulfills the state’s target in increasing strategic stock of Petroleum products and securing fuel supplies.

Attendees have listened to an explanation about developing liquid bulk terminal and petroleum reception berth and also what have been achieved up till now, in addition to future plan of the project which is held on an area of 400thousand m2, pointing that it is planned to commence technical studies procedures for the project’s second phase and which include establishment of new storage warehouses of capacity 200thousand cubic meters for solar bitumen and benzene .

First phase investments of the project have reached about 10 milliard pounds, where a banking alley participates in financing; assuring efficiency and reality of feasibility studies provided, which includes a maritime berth specialized for petroleum products handling of length 415m and depth17m which permits for receiving two carriers simultaneously, capacity of each reaches 120thousand ton, in addition to storage capacities about 150thousand cubic meter of butane gas and 100cubic meter of solar, also the project includes establishment of new pipelines of length 40km to link  storage capacities  of butane gas and solar at liquid bulk terminal with national network for transport and handling of crude oil and petroleum products, affiliated to Egyptian petroleum general authority.