LPG vessels are received at the Port of Saldanha and he product is transferred to the Avedia Energy LPG storage facility.
The current tank storage capacity installed after the first phase is 4 000 M3 with the future plans for expansion in place to increase the storage capacity to 16 000 M3 in line with the expected market growth.
The Avedia Saldanha Facility
Land
Avedia Energy has owns the site on which the storage tanks are installed which is located adjacent to the Saldanha Bay Port which allows for the berthing and offloading from LPG carrier vessels.
The physical storage depot
The final installation is planned to accommodate mounded tanks with a storage capacity of 16 000 M3 (Currently 4 000 M3 commissioned), 6 truck loading bays (Installed) as well as pipeline connection to facilitate LPG vessel offloading into the tanks. The storage tanks are mounded coupled with safety and loading valves/mechanisms. The design accommodates the topography of the site.
The current completed operational phase consists of 6 X truck loading gantries which receives LPG from the installed 8 (bullets) X 500 M3 mounded tanks. The current facility installed storage capacity is 4 000 M3.capable of supplying 6 500 T of product per month.
The project time line
The initial phase in complete with the facility being commissioned in August 2017. It is expected that the next expansion phase will take place in line with Market growth demand requirements.
Complementary LPG distribution
The plan is to use the facility as a major centre for the trading and distribution of LPG in the Southern African region, and accordingly a complementary business project is being developed that will ensure a strong demand for LPG out of the proposed Saldanha storage facility.
Appropriate communication to the public and adequate distribution channels will increase the current market significantly; firstly by illustrating the benefits and comparative safety of LPG as well as the ease of acquisition.
While the project is economically viable serving only the Western Cape Province market, the long-term strategy is to supply all major provinces, using a rail/road connection from Saldanha to the rest of the country.
Socio-economic impact of the project
The building of an LPG handling facility at Saldanha has provided a tremendous positive economic, social and environmental impact in the area and for the West Coast region.
The project will improve the province and country’s access, once a railroad connection has been established, to one of the most environment friendly sources of energy. Gas, and especially LPG, is one of the few cleaner sources of energy.
The project will contribute to the country’s achievement of its Kyoto environment objectives by reducing the dependence on Paraffin, Coal, Diesel and HFO.
