21-03-2017

HES International and BP to develop tank terminal in Rotterdam

HES International is developing a tank terminal for the storage and transhipment of petroleum products and biofuels at the Hartelstrook, on the south side of the Mississippi harbour at Maasvlakte 1. Oil major BP - owner of BP Refinery Rotterdam - has committed to the project, including plans for pipeline connections between the refinery and the terminal. On the 27-hectare site, 52 tanks with a capacity of 1.3 million m3 will be built. The Port of Rotterdam Authority will invest in a quay wall of 1,100 metres to accommodate three large or five smaller sea-going vessels. There will be nine berths in the Hudson harbour for barges.

The HES Hartel Tank Terminal will be an independent storage terminal where customers can store and tranship liquid products. BP has signed a multi-year contract, thereby increasing its activities in Rotterdam.

Jan Vogel, CEO HES International: “With the development of this state of the art terminal, HES International demonstrates that it can serve the long-term needs of its customers. At the same time, we are realizing our ambitious growth plans. Together with the expansions at our terminals, the new facility will strengthen our position as one of Europe’s most important companies in terms of the storage and transhipment of dry and liquid bulk products.”

“HES International’s investment is in line with the trend for major international players to see Rotterdam as a strategic location and, therefore, invest and focus their activities here. We are happy about this, because this concentration of activities ensures greater efficiency and therefore a reduced footprint. At the same time, this strengthens Rotterdam’s competitive position”, says Allard Castelein, CEO of the Port of Rotterdam Authority. “This new terminal is in line with our strategy to continue to support both existing sectors in our port and to develop new industry during the energy transition.”

So-called 'clean petroleum products' will be stored at the terminal, including diesel, gasoil, and gasoline. It will also be possible to blend products, add additives and homogenize cargoes at the terminal. The tanks vary in size from 5,000 to 50,000 m3 and are suitable for the storage of different products. In addition to transport by pipeline, loading and discharge will predominantly take place by vessels. A quay wall will be built to accommodate vessels ranging in size up to VLCCs with a draft of 21 metres.

In recent years, the transhipment of oil products in Rotterdam has greatly increased. In 20 years, the volume has grown almost fivefold to roughly 90 million tons. Developments such as the HES Hartel Tank Terminal indicate that this trend, especially for clean petroleum products, is not over yet. Underlying factors are, among other, the increasing global trade in oil products and the mismatch between supply and demand on several continents.

Together, the investments in the terminal and the nautical infrastructure amount to hundreds of millions of euros. The development of the HES Hartel Tank Terminal contributes to direct and indirect employment, both during construction and operations. It is expected that several hundred people will be needed for the construction of the terminal. After commissioning, the terminal will be operational 24/7 and it will provide roughly 100 people with a job. Added to this is the indirect employment.

In recent months, there have been two information evenings for residents of Oostvoorne. In the immediate future focus will be on licensing procedures. The terminal will meet very high safety and environmental requirements. According to the schedule, the terminal will be constructed in 2018 and 2019 and is expected to be ready by the end of 2019.