Port upgrade will take more fuel deliveries off the roads

Larger quantities of fuel will now be shipped, instead of trucked, into Taranaki following a 15-month upgrade to Port Taranaki’s storage and distribution terminal.

BP New Zealand has leased the former Chevron tank farm site on Centennial Dr from the port company to supply larger shipments of petrol and diesel to the region.

Port Taranaki bought the site in 2015 and began upgrading the facility in August 2016.

The first batch of diesel passed through the terminal in early November, with petrol due to come on-stream in early 2018.

The upgrade will enable more fuel than before to be shipped in, stored and distributed throughout the region.

The new operation is expected to reduce the number of road tankers bringing fuel into Taranaki by eight a week.

More than 100 million litres of fuel is expected to pass through the terminal annually.

Port Taranaki chief executive Guy Roper said the facility needed extensive refurbishment before BP took over the operation.

The upgrade included a new truck-loading area, new control system, new tank-gauging systems and the replacement of pumps and valves.

A pipeline to the Newton King tanker terminal, and a loading arm on the terminal, had been brought back into use to support the project.

The upgraded facility would supply fuel to Taranaki businesses, farms and communities, and reduce the number of fuel trucks on local roads, he said.

Port Taranaki had worked closely with BP New Zealand through the process, he said.

BP New Zealand general manager marketing supply Courtney Ireland said terminals were an important part of the company’s strategy. The partnership would allow them to support growth in the region, he added.