"From today, we will have the terminal developing a set of activities so that it can be commercially operational and we expect this to happen throughout the month of July. The objective is, at this stage, to have all the activities, processes, procedures and all commissioning completed", said Mauro Graça, in statements, this Monday, at the inauguration ceremony, quoted in a CIPRA statement to which VerAngola had access.
The project, the document says, "will start with small volumes and gradually increase so that commercial activity can technically begin by July."
According to the project director, the inauguration of the aforementioned terminal "makes the country more stable, from an energy point of view, with the ability to meet the national demand for fuel, making the entire process much more efficient".
"With this, we have the possibility of using all the volume that the country consumes, coming here to the terminal and from here doing all the stock replenishment through other terminals, inland facilities and thus making the process much safer, much more efficient and even much less expensive," he said.
Regarding the commercialization process planned for July, Mauro Graça clarified that the "operation will not differ much from what is done today".
"With the Barra do Dande Terminal, we now have the possibility for ships to arrive, unload the product completely, store it here and, from here, we consume it, either by land or by sea, to feed the rest of the network," he pointed out.
The official also reported that the first phase of the terminal, "has 580 thousand cubic meters of fuel storage to meet national demand", having explained that "the necessary conditions have been created to meet the two main objectives of the terminal, namely, the constitution of strategic reserves and national security and making the entire logistical process of distribution and storage of fuels in the country more efficient".
The Minister of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas, Diamantino Azevedo, considered that the terminal will contribute to Angola's energy independence, pointing out that it is not just a fuel reservoir, but also a "reservoir of confidence, stability and growth" for the country.
"The inauguration of this infrastructure, in the year of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of national independence, should be a motivating factor and a source of pride for Angolans as it will undoubtedly contribute to achieving energy independence, giving new dynamism to the development of our country and improving the well-being of our populations," he said.
At the inauguration ceremony, Diamantino Azevedo said that this terminal is more than a fuel reservoir: "This terminal is not just a fuel reservoir. It is a reservoir of confidence, stability and growth for Angola. With strategic vision and hard work, we are building a stronger, more resilient country that is ready for the future."
"Today the country marks an important milestone with the inauguration by the President of the Republic of this important fuel storage terminal. A structural project with an important socio-economic impact for our country and strategic for the downstream oil and gas segment," the minister added.
In his speech, the Minister of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas highlighted that this infrastructure will play a "preponderant role in strengthening Angola's energy security": "The Barra do Dande Ocean Terminal will play a preponderant role in strengthening the country's energy security. This infrastructure currently has a storage capacity of 532 thousand cubic meters of liquid and gaseous fuels, which alone will allow us, in a crisis situation, to guarantee supply autonomy throughout the country for 30 days."
In turn, Sebastião Martins, Chairman of the Board of Directors (PCA) of Sonangol, pointed out the fact that TOBD is one of "the industry's greatest assets".
"TOBD is one of the industry's biggest assets, built from scratch in Angola since national independence, the largest and most modern fuel terminal in the country and, without a doubt, a driving factor for the modernization of the sector and improvement of its operational efficiency," he said.
Quoted by the Ministry of Mineral Resources, Oil and Gas, the CEO of the national oil company also pointed to the commercialization of products for July: "With the conclusion of the TOBD, we are now carrying out the preparatory work for the start of operations, and the commercialization phase of products for the market is scheduled for July of this year. Within the TOBD perimeters, a new gas filling facility will also be built, fed by the gas stored here, which will have a significant impact on the population."
The governor of Bengo, Maria Nelumba, pointed out that this terminal is a "very important undertaking that will have a strong impact on the national economy, in general, and on the province of Bengo, in particular, due to the multiplier benefits it will bring in the short, medium and long term".
"This impressive project will contribute significantly to the development of this region of Barra do Dande", she said, quoted in a note from CIPRA to which VerAngola had access.
