Page 14 - DMEA Week 19 2021

DMEA TERMINALS & SHIPPING DMEA

SCDP says new terminal will

help reduce Cameroon’s fuel bill

AFRICA CAMEROON’S national petroleum product Before the launch of the new terminal, SCDP
concern, Société Camerounaise des Dépôts often had to pay penalties for tankers that did not
Pétroliers (SCDP), expects the total cost of fuel depart on schedule, she said. “You know that the
imports to decline as a result of the completion of state pays for demurrage every time a boat comes
a new oil terminal at the port of Douala. and has to stay extra days,” Mbio was quoted as
Véronique Moampéa Mbio, SCDP’s CEO, saying by Agence Ecofin. “At the moment, we
noted recently that the new terminal would be [make] on average CFA11bn [$20.36mn] in
able to unload refined fuels more rapidly than demurrage payments.”
the port’s No. 1 Wharf, which was pressed into SCDP brought the Douala terminal on
service in 2001 after the original terminal was stream on April 11. The new facility is capable
damaged irreparably in a series of accidents. The of berthing and mooring two large tankers and
wharf cannot always unload petroleum prod- also has a network of pipelines and a pedestrian
ucts from tankers quickly since it also handles bridge. It was built over a period of about two
other types of cargo, but the new terminal will years by a French contractor, Entreprise Jean
only load and unload refined fuels, she said. As Negri et Fils (EJN). The cost of construction
a result, she explained, tankers will not have to came to CFA10bn (18.51mn) and was covered
remain in port as long. by the port authority, known as the Autonomous
Moreover, she said, the terminal will be able Port of Douala (PAD).
to accommodate larger ships. As a result, she Cameroon is completely dependent on
stated, the time needed to pump fuel from tank- imported petroleum products. It has not been
ers to onshore storage tanks is set to drop by 30% able to produce its own fuel since 2019, when its
on average. only working refinery was destroyed in a fire.™

P14 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 19 13•May•2021