Liberia: US$6M Petroleum Storage Terminal Dedicated in Southeast

Express Power Oil petroleum storage facility in n Maryland County

 

.... The Southeast, which is made up of six counties, has an infamous reputation for having the highest petroleum product prices in the country as a result of the poor road network that makes the transportation of petroleum products a difficult task.

A US$6 million petroleum storage terminal has been dedicated in the Southeast region of the country as a means of addressing the age-old problem of inadequate supply. 

The facility, located in the seaside city of Harper, Maryland County, has three large tanks with a combined capacity of around 940,000 gallons of fuel and gasoline. 

The Southeast, which is made up of six counties, has an infamous reputation for having the highest petroleum product prices in the country as a result of the poor road network that makes the transportation of petroleum products a difficult task. The six counties that made up the region—Maryland, Grand Kru, River Gee, Sinoe, Grand Gedeh, and River Cess—suffered greatly from extreme poverty and marginalization.

At the dedication of the facility, the Chief Executive Officer of Express Power Oil Company (EPOC), Leo D. Nyentu said that the construction of the facility is aimed at promoting economic activities in Maryland, especially the operations of the Port of Harper, and the Southeast at large.

It is anticipated, he noted, that this huge investment will help in addressing age-old problems associated with the supply of petroleum products to major southeastern counties, including Maryland, River Gee, Grand Kru, and Grand Gedeh.

It is Nyentu’s vision that the presence of the storage terminal, which construction started in 2020, will at least help to reduce the high price of petroleum in the Southeast.  He commended the government, especially authorities at the Harper Port, for the trust and confidence reposed in the company to undertake such a massive project.

He also called on the government to pay serious attention to the issue of modernizing the port of Harper to enhance the smooth transportation of petroleum and gasoline and other cardinal commodities to Maryland. The Director of the Buchanan port, Civicus Barsi-Giah, served as a proxy for President George M. Weah at the dedication ceremony.

Barsi-Giah said the dedication of the facility is in fulfillment of the President’s Pro-poor Agenda that seeks to ensure infrastructure development across the country. “This was a promise to the people of this region and it has been fulfilled. President Weah is here for development and he will do more,” he said.

Maryland County Superintendent, George A. Prowd, lauded the company for the work and the diligent manner in which it was done. He said petroleum storage will have positive impacts in the Southeast.

“When we had a similar facility here over 30 years ago, the issues of petroleum were never a problem. But since it was damaged during the civil unrest it has been a serious challenge in getting petroleum to Maryland,” he said.  “But with the construction of this storage facility in the county, it will bring to an end the artificial shortage of petroleum products we often encounter here in the southeast.”

Superintendent Prowd urged citizens to take advantage of the opportunity, assuring that local government officials will provide all necessary protection for the facility.

“There have been these developments that are coming to the southeast, and these speak to the fact that the government of Liberia under the leadership of President Weah is doing well,” said Prowd.

The dedication ceremony of the facility was well attended with scores of government officials present, including Harper Port Manager, Williams Wallace. Also in attendance were the managers of Ecobank Liberia, and International Bank, as well as a representative of United Bank for Africa (UBA).