February 28, 2011 [El Financiero/PortStorage Group] - The fuel storage facility of Alba Petroleos, located in Acajutla, El Salvador, to begin its operations in April this year, the company’s spokesmen confirmed. Initially, it was expected to become operational in March.
However, the commission of the terminal is delayed due to the unfinished construction of the pipeline connected to the ships dock. At the same time, the diesel and gasoline storage tanks (including jet fuel), liquid gas spheres and the administrative building have been already completed.
Alba Petróleos’ new storage facility will have a fuel storage capacity of 355.000 bbls (56.440 m³). More than $115 million were invested in its construction, which was initially designed to have a storage capacity of 350,000 bbl (55.645 m³). However, in order to open up more business opportunities, the additional 5,000 bbl (795 m³) of LPG storage have been constructed, said company’s vice-president Luz Estrella Rodriguez.
The original design consisted of two tanks for diesel (100,000 bbl, 15.900 m³), two tanks for regular 91-octane gasoline (50,000 bbl, 7950 m³), two tanks for 95-octane unleaded gasoline (20,000 bbl, 3180 m³) and two tanks for Jet A1 aircraft fuel (5,000 bbl, 795 m³).
‘With the storage plant in Acajutla, the company aims to become an important platform for distribution of petroleum products in Central America’, said the vice-president Luz Estrella.
Additionally to its overall facilities, the storage facility has been expanded with an infrastructure for fueling tank trucks, an administration building, a 2,800 m-pipeline and a maritime terminal accommodating the ships carrying oil derivatives.