The FINANCIAL — Rompetrol Georgia, one of the leading oil importers in the country has recently opened its modernized petroleum storage tanks and related facilities at large in Lochini ravine, Tbilisi International Airport surroundings.
The renewed petroleum tank storage capacity will be extended from 6000 to 9500 Cubic Meters. In addition the discharging time from oil tanks has been cut from 10 to 2 hours. Now 10 cisterns can be discharged instead of 8.
The reconstruction of petroleum storage has cost Rompetrol $2mln. The money has been spent on new storage tank and rehabilitating the old ones, also discharging piers had been added herein the renewed base will more effectively serve the corporate as well as usual retailers of the Georgian market.
The opening has been significant as it had been attended by the General Director of Rompetrol worldwide Mr. Saduokhaz Meraliev who visited Tbilisi, especially for this event. Also on the event were present the deputy minister of Georgian Economic and Sustainable Development Archil Kekelia as well as the minister of Energy of Georgia Alexander Khetaguri. There’s been much talk about the mass plans for the future development and new investment strategies.
“Despite the economic crisis in the world, we have not stopped investing in improving the infrastructure of our business, even adding more storage facilities in order to expand our business in Georgia. For the last two years we have created 200 jobs across Georgia while overall Rompetrol Georgia employs up to 500 people. Currently we are taking modernization works in Romanian refineries so in one and half a year, the quality of the products coming to Georgia will conform to the European standards, carried by large sea tankers in bulk,” says Saduokhaz Meraliev, General Director of Rompetrol worldwide.
“To say frankly, in Europe the situation is very discouraging, but we have started the reconstruction works in Bulgaria, Spain and France, so the international activities have improved. Georgia does not have the intensive growth prospect but stable growth one. The new base to be built in western part of Tbilisi will be spread on two hectares of land. It will hold 15 000 tones of imported oil. In the coming years we will bring the European standards on petroleum stations with the cafes and toilets,” Saduokhaz Meraliev told to The FINANCIAL.
“The reconstruction works had been continuing for 6 months where 85 local highly qualified workers were employed. Currently here are working 15 local residents and 9 security officers. The operators salaries are 300-400$. Here are also working managers, financial officers, engineers and they are also supplied with food and served by transportation at night. The base has been equipped with the anti-fire facilities that’ll ensure the ecological safety of the camp.
The overall reservoirs have been repaired by SAYBOLT specialists, brought by Rompetrol Georgia. Except of this base we have also largest one in Batumi. We are going to build a new one with total up to $4mln investment there,” declared Alexander Albin, country director of Rompetrol Georgia.
“Railway which is carrying the Rompetrol oil products here in the base is being discharged in two hours, 10 carriages. Also the oil pier have changed and now oil distributor long vehicles can be filled up in just a minutes, while before that they had to go down in the ravine where the petroleum had been discharged from tanks with inclination. On monthly basis we get approximately 5000 Tones of petrol on this base,” says Giorgi Meparishvili, the manager of the renewed base.
“Rompetrol is the largest supplier of European petrol in Georgia, it’s has been represented on Georgian market for 5 years with the total investments over $20mln. This year Rompetrol has been very active in terms of employing more and more people either enlarging its network, improving the infrastructure. It’s very strong signal for other oil importers and such steps will lead to an increased competition on the market, and finally to the price stability on petroleum products in Georgia,” assures Alexander Khetaguri, the minister of Energy of Georgia.
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