On 21st June 2024, Conex Petroleum Group in Sierra Leone, commissioned 2(15KT) storage tanks at its kissy depot in Freetown.
According to Operation Manager of Conex, Mr. Vaibhav poladia, they are here to commission two newly erected petroleum storage tanks, adding that each of these tanks is 24 Meter in height and can be seen from a distance away from the sea, coming to the terminal. He expressed a feeling of commitment, satisfaction and pride in taking this bold step. Mr. Poladia also reaffirmed that even though the road was tough, but they have been able to reach at their destination.
While acknowledging the challenges in achieving this goal, they are happy that the project turned out successfully without any casualties.
In his statement, Managing Director of Conex Sierra Leone Limited, Mr. Carl, asserted that this day is a very emotional day to each and every member of the company, and this has informed the wearing of blue shirt by staff. Mr. carl furthered that they have a capacity of 11 Thousand tons of fuel, which is a land mark achievement in the country. Commending the government for its support, Mr. Carl said that the project would not have been possible without the support of the government, adding that this is going to serve as a benchmark in the petroleum sector. In concluding, the MD said by that this depot is the largest in the West African Region.
Speaking during the ceremony, Executive Director of PRA, Baluwa Koroma, expressed delight to participate in such a joyous occasion. “I bring you hearty greetings from the Petroleum Agency’s British Council Building. May I hasten to offer our congratulations to the management and team of Conex Energy SL Limited, led by Mr. Avrajit Kar, for this massive investment in Sierra Leone.
“I am particularly pleased to welcome the Honorable Minister of Trade and Industry, who has consented to commission these petroleum tanks today.
“We came in at a time when the sector was in desperate need of reforms, as unresolved challenges continued to impact the sector with weak investor appetite. The sector was constellated with weak infrastructure, frequent supply disruption and declined government revenue. Both ironical and complex, the challenges faced by our downstream industry seemed to be disproportionate to its vast potential. We deliberately confronted some of the problems, resulting in the industry now expanding.
“Alongside the great vision of His Excellency President Julius Maada Bio, to transform the downstream petroleum sector, our end to end approach to identify primary business drivers and focus areas, has always been the cornerstone of our activities, and we are proud to have surmounted so many barriers on our way, while delivering higher performance. We therefore dedicate this milestone to the Presidency.
He added that “no industry can be compared with the Petroleum Industry in terms of volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. No industry faces the same combination of risks, but again, no industry offers to do such great things and for so many people, as the petroleum industry.
Our goals are to transform Sierra Leone into a hub for the Mano River Basin, and further reach out to the Ecowas market.
“Now you all see the sector is evolving, therefore, I plead to all industry leaders to work together in addressing long term policy questions on service delivery, economic stability and job creations for our youths.” Baluwa Koroma concluded.