PRESS RELEASE – 20TH
OCTOBER 2001
PORTLAND PORT WELCOME PROGRESS
ON PBI BUNKERING PROJECT
Portland Port have welcomed Weymouth and
Portland Borough Council’s decision to approve some of the land-based
elements of Portland Bunkers International Limited’s application to
establish an international bunkering terminal on the Island.
PBI will store the oil in
four underground tanks that have a total capacity of 40,000 cubic metres.
The tanks have not been used for some years and plans by the Ministry of
Defence to reopen them, in order to supply the then new class of 31,000
tonne AORs of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary at a berth to be built on the
Outer Breakwater, were shelved when the future of the Naval Base itself
came into in question. Local Authority planning consent was required to
re-lay the pipeline, mostly along the route formerly used by the Royal
Navy, and listed building approval was necessary as access to the new
jetty will be from the Inner Breakwater which, unusually for such a
structure, was designated some years ago by the Government as a Grade 2
Listed Building.
ohn Langham, Chairman, said,
“PBI and their Greek parent company, Diekat, have been working with the
port on this project and the Council’s decision is another tick in the
box in a programme that has already entailed nearly two years of planning,
start-up expenditure and lots of hard work. PBI have also been granted a
Tidal Works licence by Portland Port, together with some pretty strict
conditions that will make this one of the most strongly regulated
bunkering operations in the world.
“This is a very exciting project. The new jetty will be the first
significant extension to our berthing capacity, not just since the opening
of the commercial port in 1996 but for as far back as 50 years and the
construction of Queen’s Pier. We anticipate that it will be the first of
several such developments over the next few years as more lines of
business are opened up and more shipping companies make use of the harbour.”
PBI
will invest over £4 million in the facility, which should be up and
running before the end of next year. It is anticipated that there will be
substantial benefits to the local economy. Construction will provide about
35 jobs directly and it has been estimated that the total employment
during this time - that is, direct, indirect and induced jobs - will
amount to 165, of which nearly half will come from the Borough.
Thereafter, some 28 people will be employed in the first year of operation
and this figure will rise to 40 after 10 years, most of whom will be from
the local area.
Mr Langham said,
“
PBI’s plans for jobs are most encouraging but the benefits to the
community go much further than that. Both the replenishing ships and
PBI’s customers will require materials and services and that will be
good for the growing businesses already established on the port estate and
for companies elsewhere in the local area. When not in use by the
replenishment tanker, the berth, with its deep water, can be made avilable
for other types of large vessels and that, in itself, increases the
options for the port. Furthermore, the international bunkering facility
will significantly raise the profile of Portland in the world market
which, in turn, will generate yet more business.”